An Evening with Julia Malye

Historical fiction meets maritime adventure in a compelling debut novel based on true events from 18th-century France. An Evening with Julia Malye brings the author to Books & Books in Coral Gables on Tuesday, May 6, presented by the Books & Books Literary Foundation and the Consulate General of France in Miami.

Malye will discuss her U.S. debut Pelican Girls: A Novel, which tells the story of the Baleine Brides—women from a Paris asylum who were sent to marry settlers in colonial Louisiana. The narrative follows three unlikely friends as they navigate challenges from piracy to personal trauma, offering insights into female friendship and survival in the early American frontier.

A published novelist in France and creative writing instructor, Malye brings her expertise in both French and American literary traditions to this work, which has been translated into twenty-five languages. This free event provides an opportunity to explore a lesser-known chapter of French-American history through the lens of contemporary fiction. Copies of Pelican Girls will be available for purchase.