Author Event: Taylor Catalana's "Marble" with Jessica Francis Kane

Marble is the feminist retelling of the life of the Virgin Mary, sharing her story before she became a mother.

Out on the edge of the Roman Empire, Maryam dreams of the world beyond her village, her solitude occasionally broken by a mysterious figure named Gabriel. But when Maryam’s father dies and leaves behind debts that his only child must pay in servitude, she is thrust into the heart of the treacherous royal court of King Herod the Great.

Before long, a brutal act of jealousy and betrayal leaves Maryam alone in a country simmering with unrest. When she sets out to salvage her future, she is jarred by the discovery that she will soon become a mother. Maryam must decide to take her life into her own hands, and nothing — not a princess, not an empire, not even an angel — will stop her from seeing her own will be done.

With luminous prose and page-turning storytelling, Marble gives voice to one of the most famous mothers, narrating an unforgettable and resounding story of feminine identity, strength, and choice.

Taylor Catalana is a writer and museum professional who studied art history and theology at Fordham University and King’s College London. Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently lives in Brooklyn with her dog. Marble is her first novel.

Jessica Francis Kane is the author of five works of fiction, including: Fonseca, named one of the 10 Best Historical Fiction Books of 2025 by the New York Times; Rules for Visiting, a national bestseller and long-listed for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize; This Close, long-listed for The Story Prize; and The Report, a finalist for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. She lives in New York City.

[ABOUT THIS EVENT: This is a free event. The rear half of the store will be used exclusively for this event. The front bar will be open to the public for drinking & chatting. Book browsing will remain open.]