Bio

Diane C. McPhail is an artist, therapist, minister, and acclaimed author of Follow the Stars Home, The Abolitionist’s Daughter, and The Seamstress of New Orleans, which was a finalist for the Thomas Wolf Fiction Award and the Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Award. A graduate of Ole Miss, Duke Writers, University of Iowa Distance, and the Yale Writers' Conference, she is a member of NC Writers Network and the Historical Novel Society. She was born and raised in MS only miles from the Mississippi River and now lives in Highlands, North Carolina with her husband, Ray, and dog, Pepper. For more information, please visit Diane online at DianeMcPhailAuthor.com.

Praise for Diane McPhail

“McPhail entices with the story of two women from different backgrounds who discover common ground in turn of the 20th-century New Orleans…An undercurrent of New Orleans’s dark side propels the story, heightening the tension and supplying McPhail with a wealth of evocative details. Historical fiction fans will be drawn to this.” —Publishers Weekly on The Seamstress of New Orleans
 
“From the captivating first line, The Seamstress of New Orleans transports the reader to the mystery and sultry magic of New Orleans. With McPhail’s acclaimed and atmospheric prose, The Seamstress of New Orleans is a tale of well-guarded secrets, societal bonds that must be broken, and women’s powerful resilience. A powerful and fascinating story." —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah on The Seamstress of New Orleans
 
“In a time and place when women were relegated to the home, these New Orleans ladies set about crafting their own future. Story threads of missing husbands, menacing gamblers, and a society on the cusp of changing women's rights weave together to form a riveting tale. The history of the first all female krewe was so captivating that it sent me to do some googling for extra information. McPhail has stitched an impressive work of historical fiction that will fuel plenty of book club discussions.” —Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller (Stillwater, MN) on The Seamstress of New Orleans
 
“Reading this novel is like dining on a creole dish: rich, mysterious and oh so satisfying.” —Fran Ziegler, Titcomb’s Bookshop (East Sandwich, MA) on The Seamstress of New Orleans
 
“McPhail has created a novel that is at once a mystery and a novel of feminine friendship and empowerment. She reminds the reader of how constricted life for women at the turn of the century was, and she illustrates this with two very different characters…The Seamstress of New Orleans leaves you wanting more of New Orleans, a place that is saturated with history. It is a perfect summer book to sit back with a glass of sweet tea and enjoy.” —New York Journal of Books on The Seamstress of New Orleans
 
"Inspired by a real-life feud between two Mississippi families, McPhail's first novel sheds light on an often unrecognized part of Civil War history, the Southern abolitionist movement...For fans of Charles Frazier's enduring Cold Mountain.” —Booklist on The Abolitionist’s Daughter
 
"McPhail is great at showing differences, but also frightening similarities, in the attitudes about slaves between Union versus Confederate soldiers. A well-researched story into the lives of Southern Abolitionists." —The Historical Novels Review on The Abolitionist’s Daughter
 
"The dialogue, scenery, and daily routines of the characters in McPhail's novel as well as the state of mind of the country during one of the most turbulent times in history is quickly brought to life. This is an absorbing story sure to capture the hearts of historical fiction fans who appreciate a uniquely told tale of those willing to defy the status quo with bravery and steadfastness." —The New York Journal of Books on The Abolitionist’s Daughter
 
"McPhail's...debut centers on a land dispute in the antebellum South...Many intriguing threads." —Publishers Weeklyon The Abolitionist’s Daughter
 
"Diane McPhail excavates a nearly forgotten corner of American history and brings it to full, beating life. This is a fascinating and heartfelt look at the kinds of stories that don't always make it into the history books." —Louis Bayard, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln on The Abolitionist’s Daughter
 
"A contender, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched story...as good as it deserves to be." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author on The Abolitionist’s Daughter