Jane Hamilton, Anika Fajardo, and Erin O. White
The Novel of Family
Saturday, November 8, 2025
3:00pm, Red Cap Room (located upstairs from the Book Fair)
Whether formed by blood, choice, or circumstance, the bonds that join families and the tensions that can tug them apart are among the great subjects of the literary novel. Renowned bestselling author Jane Hamilton visits the Twin Cities to present her new coming-of-age novel about girls, mothers, and finding one’s way in the world, The Phoebe Variations—and she’ll be joined by Minnesota authors Anika Fajardo (The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore) and Erin O. White (Like Family), whose new books explore themes of maternal ancestry, female friendship, and the tangled tapestry of family. Don’t miss this summit on the art of family fiction at its finest!
About the Authors
Jane Hamilton is the author of seven critically acclaimed and bestselling novels, including The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World, both of which were Oprah’s Book Club selections. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Allure, Elle, and various anthologies. She’s married to an apple farmer and lives in Wisconsin.
Anika Fajardo was born in Colombia and raised in Minnesota. She is the award-winning author of Magical Realism for Non-Believers, What If a Fish, and Meet Me Halfway, and lives with her family in Minneapolis.
A fifty-one-year-old debut novelist, Erin O. White is also an essayist and the author of the memoir Give Up For You. After growing up in Colorado and living for twenty years in western Massachusetts, she now lives with her wife and daughters in Minneapolis.