Writing alumna Jennifer Cody Epstein ’03 is set to release her latest novel, The Madwomen of Paris, in July 2023, through Penguin Random House. Epstein's novel uncovers the tales of women fighting against societal and personal constraints amidst the turbulent backdrop of Paris in the 19th century.
Epstein paints an evocative tableau of characters, exploring themes of sanity, freedom, and rebellion from women's perspectives. The narrative centers around two women who fall under the influence of a powerful doctor in Paris’s notorious women’s asylum in this gripping historical novel inspired by true events.
Inside the walls of Paris's Salpêtrière asylum, Josephine, a woman suffering from amnesia and hysteria (a disease called “the epidemic of the age”), becomes the fascinating subject of the asylum’s famous doctor Jean-Martin Charcot. Charcot’s attendant, Laure, is caught in a web of dread and affection as Josephine's returning memories hint at a gruesome crime she believes she committed. As Josephine's sanity appears to vanish, Laure starts to plan their escape from the asylum, but first, she must unveil the truth to determine if she's helping a madwoman or a murderer. The truth, however, proves darker than either scenario.
Building on the international acclaim from her previous novels, The Painter from Shanghai and Wunderland, Epstein continues her exploration of resilient women in historical contexts. In The Painter from Shanghai, she reimagines the life of Pan Yuliang, a Chinese prostitute-turned-post-Impressionist artist, offering a captivating exploration of resilience, ambition, and art in early 20th-century China. Wunderland offers a deeply affecting look at friendship, betrayal, and the devastating legacy of World War II in East Berlin.
Epstein has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Asian Wall Street Journal, The Nation, Self and Mademoiselle magazines, and the NBC and HBO networks. She has taught at Columbia University and Doshisha University in Kyoto. In addition to an MFA from Columbia, she holds a Masters of International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a BA in Asian Studies and English from Amherst College. Epstein currently lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.
