Whistling Women and Crowing Hens: A Novel

In the Roaring Twenties, five women take the stage—and one discovers the courage to live by her own rules.

Birdie Stauffer has spent her life trying to meet everyone else's expectations, especially those of her overbearing sister. But when her extraordinary talent for concert whistling wins her a place in the Versatile Quintet, an all-female musical ensemble touring America's Chautauqua circuit, she finally has a ticket to freedom.

It's the 1920s, and the world is changing fast. From bustling cities to small-town stages, Birdie discovers a country alive with jazz, flappers, forbidden whiskey, and possibilities she never imagined. Traveling by train with four spirited and unconventional women, she finds friendship, adventure, and a growing taste for independence as her remarkable performances bring her national attention.

Romance proves more complicated. Drawn to both a charming circuit manager and the ensemble's talented pianist, Birdie finds herself torn between competing desires and uncertain loyalties. And when unexpected tragedies threaten the bonds she's come to depend on, she must confront difficult truths about love, trust, and the price of being herself.

Rich with Jazz Age atmosphere, unforgettable women, and the exhilaration of breaking free, Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is a spirited historical novel about friendship, forbidden love, and finding your own voice in a world determined to silence it.

About the Author

The only constant in life is change—so after multiple doozies, Melora Fern moved from Texas to North Carolina to become herself. Growing up a perpetual new kid she persevered by making-up stories and learned to hone that skill into writing fiction. As a recovering CPA, she now counts treasures and words discovered on her daily hikes. Turning the pages of her grandmother’s Chautauqua scrapbook has opened infinite research rabbit-holes and ignited her debut historical fiction. In addition to all there is with writing, she enjoys her rescue cats, gardening, and losing herself in novels of all genres.

Praise for Whistling Women and Crowing Hens

"Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is an immersive read set in the Chautauqua circuit of the 1920s. Talented whistler and trombonist Birdie Vogel finds herself a member of a quintet performing throughout the northeast. When small-town Birdie steps into the wider world, she discovers aspects of herself she never knew existed. Increasingly at odds with societal and sisterly expectations, she must choose between following her truth and disappointing the most important people in her life.

Melora Fern’s debut novel offers an unconventional coming of age story set against the backdrop of a nation doing the same. As the propriety of the Victorian era gives way to the anything-goes roaring twenties, women find themselves newly enfranchised and empowered, yet still traditional expectations endure.

Fern’s attention to detail and a cast of unforgettable characters make this book hard to put down. Full of the drama and humor that come from five women sharing close quarters for weeks at a time, Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is at times raucous, tragic, and uplifting. At its heart, this book is about finding one’s voice and singing (or whistling) it loud."

—Culley Holderfield, award-winning author of Hemlock Hollow