Charity and Sylvia by Walden, Tillie

An openly Lesbian couple survives and thrives in 19th century Vermont-a true story, as told by Tillie Walden

The month is February in the year 1807. The place is Weybridge, Vermont: small, cold, lonely, and beautiful. Sylvia Drake is exhausted. As an unwed woman with few prospects, she is residing with and caring for her sister's rambunctious family. Today the house is abuzz awaiting a guest--Charity Bryant. A friend of the family, she is most known for her elegant letters, with their swoopy and evocative penmanship and carefully chosen prose. But Charity's visit is a guise, she is coming to Vermont to start over after heartbreak and rumours--so many rumours--that have grown too loud back in Massachusetts.

Being openly gay in 19th century New England is not an easy row to hoe. But Charity can only be herself, and she immediately catches--and holds--the eye of none other than Sylvia Drake. From this point on, for 44 years, the two would be inseparable, building a life together despite all odds and living as a lesbian couple in small town Vermont.

The true, exceptional story of these remarkable women is brought to life with humor and passion by the unparalleled and award-winning Tillie Walden (Spinning, On A Sunbeam). We see America grow alongside these women over a period that brings about the railroad, many novels, 14 Presidents, riots, rebellion, plagues, and poetry. Based on extensive archives of their writing, Charity and Sylvia is a groundbreaking biography that is also the story of 19th century America.

Author: Tillie Walden
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Published: 06/16/2026
Pages: 264
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.23lbs
Size: 10.26h x 7.80w x 1.03d
ISBN: 9781770468382

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 70
Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 05/11/2026
Booklist 06/01/2026
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001

About the Author
Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, Texas. She is the creator of a number of award-winning graphic novels including On a Sunbeam, Spinning, and the Walking Dead's Clementine Trilogy. She is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont where she now teaches and lives with her wife and son.