WHISTLING WOMEN AND CROWING HENS
a debut novel by Melora Fern
Coming May 16 2025!
To escape her strait-laced overbearing sister, Birdie Stauffer auditions for the all-female Versatile Quintet, Westdale Chautauqua Circuit’s opening act. Through this train-traveling roadshow she experiences the tumultuous 1920’s, a modern era of shocking flappers and smuggled whiskey, with the camaraderie of newfound friends. Birdie finds herself entangled in two romantic relationships and learns that her whistling is not just for the birds but for Circuit tent audiences from Pennsylvania to Canada and back again.
As Birdie travels with the Versatile Quintet—a slang slinging flapper, a confident girl-next-door, a tight-lipped loner, and a brilliant, spirited lesbian—she navigates what it means to be a woman in an unconventional changing world. Through a series of traumatic events, Birdie learns that even the best relationships can be filled with conflict and misunderstandings, and she’ll need to trust her intuition to guide her toward her own unique song. But in doing so, she risks losing those she loves the most.
What people are saying…
“Melora Fern has written a totally original and psychologically complex novel about her appealing young heroine Birdie's coming of age as a "whistling woman" in an all-girl musical group with the famed Chautauqua Circuit as they travel the country on tour. Sexy, smart, and irresistible, this is historical fiction of a very high order----I literally could not put it down! Highly recommended.”
Lee Smith, NYTimes Bestseller
“Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is an immersive read set in the Chautauqua circuit of the 1920s. Talented whistler and trombonist Birdie Stauffer 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.”
“I'm drawn to stories of women's self-discovery and the challenges they face, and Melora Fern's Whistling Women and Crowing Hens is a true gem. Set in the Roaring Twenties as women defied societal norms, Birdie Stauffer enters the Chautauqua arts movement and discovers her extraordinary talent as a concert whistler. Although the Golden Age of musical whistling is past, this historical novel captured my heart as Birdie finds her voice and explores the world, love, and her unique path as a woman. Between her two suitors, a domineering sister, and her fellow choir members, Birdie must forge her own path in an era of newfound freedoms, all while remaining a heroine we admire. Melora Fern's historical novel resonates with Prohibition-era nostalgia and warmth.”
Julia Park Tracey, author of The Bereaved and I've Got Some Lovin' to Do
“Settle into your armchair, because you won’t want to leave until the end of this whistlestop tour of the Roaring Twenties. When Birdie Stauffer leaves the nest to join the all-woman Versatile Quintet on the Chautauqua Circuit, she finds her wings and learns to soar. From the boarding house to the stage, from the hinterlands to the big city, Melora Fern’s WHISTLING WOMEN AND CROWING HENS will take you on an extraordinary journey of music, adventure, friendship and unexpected love.”
Mimi Herman, author of The Kudzu Queen
“WHISTLING WOMEN AND CROWING HENS is a thoroughly immersive and uplifting tale, deftly exploring female ambition in the riotous 1920s. Birdie Stauffer is a winsome heroine, and readers will cheer for her to succeed both on-stage and off. As Birdie wrestles with learning to trust herself, a gripping love triangle and an entertaining cast of side characters impact her in unforeseen ways. Fern’s vivid details bring the historical time period and charming characters to life.”
Heather Bell Adams, author of Maranatha Road and The Good Luck Stone
My grandma, Verna, with her trombone
How the story came to be
This story ignited when I discovered my grandmother’s scrapbook and programs from her years of performance whistling with a real Chautauqua circuit. Within weeks, Birdie and her Versatile Quintet friends inhabited my mind and have been living with me ever since.
All photos sourced from family albums from Melora Fern