I never thought it would take ten years to get to this place, but because of all kinds of real life mayhem and also because I found it nearly impossible to find a new project I could truly fall in love with (not for lack of trying), it has taken this long to finally be able to announce that a second book is really and truly in the pipeline. So, without further ado, here’s the announcement from Publishers Marketplace:

NYT bestselling author of TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME Carol Rifka Brunt’s MARY ANN, a historical novel pitched as inspired by the life of Mary Ann Bevan, known for many years as “the ugliest woman in the world;” the story of a woman born into poverty in Victorian London who achieves everything she most wanted (a loving husband, a rewarding career, children, financial stability), only to lose it all when her body begins to coarsen and distort mysteriously in middle age—an intimate and moving novel about motherhood, beauty, and what it means to live in a body you no longer recognize, to Whitney Frick at Dial, in a pre-empt, for publication in early 2024, by Mollie Glick at CAA (NA). Translation/film: CAA

This Louis Wain cat kind of expresses how I’m feeling at the moment. In my own head, trying to get this story out in the best way possible, and slightly grumpy (though also quite happy underneath it!) This novel is a big challenge in many ways and is pushing me into all kinds of new territory as a writer. But I love this project. I love Mary Ann and I love the way her story is inspiring me. And so, once again, I’ll say that this is the quiet part…for now.