Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 3 reviews on
There, Phoebe befriends fellow American exile Hannah Wolfson, who has defied the odds to build a career as a successful television producer in England. Hannah is a woman who has it all, and is now gambling everything in a very dangerous game--the game of hiring blacklisted writers.
Neither woman suspects that danger still looms . . . and their fight is only just beginning.
Author of #histfic RADIO GIRLS and RED LETTER DAYS @berkleypub. Feminist. History & theatre geek. Expat in London. #binder. Knitter. she/her
Fun was had all around! RT @joanschwei: I had the best time interviewing Sarah-Jane Stratford of Radio Girls and Red Letter Days fame, for @OcchiMagazine! Thanks to @stratfordsJ and @DavidENoel! https://t.co/T3DHGQmLUA
"In this crisp novel, Stratford... effortlessly melds politics, romance, and history. This delivers on every level."--Publishers Weekly, on Red Letter Days
"Red Letter Days is a look at a piece of American history told through the lens of two brave women, whose stories you won't soon forget."--PopSugar, on Red Letter Days
"[A] thoroughly fascinating and too-little-known story of Hannah Weinstein and her role in supporting blacklisted Americans, regardless of gender or race."--Booklist (starred review), on Red Letter Days
"Well plotted and moving, with witty characters and an unnervingly timely storyline, Red Letter Days is smart, satisfying historical fiction at its best."--Shelf Awareness, on Red Letter Days
"Stratford's book is quick-paced and manages to balance background information and descriptive detail without weighing down the story.... the heart of the book is about friendship, professional ambition, and loyalty, and both Hannah and Phoebe are compelling, energetic heroines with fulfilling emotional arcs. A satisfying read with elements that are unnervingly relevant today."--Historical Novel Society, on Red Letter Days
"A vivid portrayal of artistic life during the Red Scare and the challenges women screenwriters faced in the era's entertainment industry. It is also a witty and harrowing tale of intrigue, friendship and romance. Stratford imbues the text with lively energy and a wry voice.... Red Letter Days is a timeless and relevant story about the dangers of bias, conformity and groupthink."--BookTrib, on Red Letter Days
Praise for Radio Girls
"Sarah-Jane Stratford's crackerjack historical novel Radio Girls smartly tunes in to the beginnings of Britain's broadcasting behemoth....Radio Girls is a hit."--USA Today
"An achievement of historical fiction so believable that you'll wonder if the author has access to a time machine....By turns funny and fascinating, Radio Girls is a triumph."--Allison Amend, author of Enchanted Islands
"Sarah-Jane Stratford's storytelling skills are on vivid display throughout, and the strong, believable, and immensely human Maisie Musgrave is the best imaginable guide to that vanished time and place."--Joseph Wallace, author of Slavemakers
"An intoxicating look inside a world of innovative new media."--Kirkus Reviews
"Sparkling historical fiction."--Literary Hub
"A delightfully literary historical fiction book about the early days of the BBC."--Broadly
"A highly detailed narrative and well-fleshed characters set the stage for this unique, early-twentieth-century story....This is an eye-opening view of the world when women's rights were newly budding."--Historical Novels Review