Upright Women Wanted

Set in a dystopian American Southwest that mirrors the Old West, Upright Women Wanted follows Esther as she flees an arranged marriage by hiding in a Librarian wagon. The Librarians appear to be state-sanctioned distributors of approved propaganda materials to rural settlements, but their true purpose runs deeper. The story tracks Esther's journey with this group of revolutionary women and non-binary individuals who use their official position as cover for resistance activities. Through her time with the Librarians, Esther confronts her own prejudices while finding both purpose and unexpected romance in their dangerous mission. The novel explores themes of resistance against authoritarianism, the power of self-discovery, and the vital importance of finding one's true community in hostile times. Set against a backdrop of state control and enforced conformity, it examines how marginalized people survive and find ways to live authentically despite systemic oppression.

Readers describe this as a quick, punchy novella that blends western and dystopian elements. Many reviews note the short length works well for the story's pacing. Readers liked: - The representation of queer characters in a western setting - The librarian resistance fighters concept - Clear, straightforward prose style - Character dynamics and relationships Common criticisms: - World-building feels incomplete/unexplained - Plot moves too fast with limited character development - Ending feels rushed - Some found the dystopian elements generic Ratings: Goodreads: 3.83/5 (14,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (1,100+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 Sample reader quotes: "Perfect bite-sized story about queer librarian spies" - Goodreads reviewer "Wanted more depth to the world and characters" - Amazon reviewer "Like if Fahrenheit 451 met True Grit" - StoryGraph reviewer

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🔍 The book's Librarians are inspired by real-life Pack Horse Librarians who delivered books to remote areas in Kentucky during the Great Depression 📚 Sarah Gailey identifies as non-binary and frequently explores themes of gender identity and queerness in their work 🌵 The novella format (under 200 pages) mirrors classic Western dime novels that were popular in the late 1800s 🏆 Gailey won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 2018, prior to publishing this book 📖 The concept of "approved materials" in the story reflects historical censorship practices like the Comics Code Authority and the Hays Code that regulated American media content