The Ladies Hall: A Novel

by Vanessa Miller

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

, 2026

Overview

The lives of real heroes prove this truth: equality is won when we rise together.

1880s, Ohio. When Mary and Anna enter the Bachelor of Arts program, also known as the “gentlemen’s course” of study, at Oberlin College, they have little in common other than the color of their skin and their passion for education.

While Mary was raised in luxury, attending presidential inaugurations with her wealthy father, Anna is a schoolteacher, likely the daughter of her enslaved mother’s former owner, and works a second job to pay for her room and board. But despite their differences, both women share strength, ambition, and a deep yearning for change. If they can bridge the gaps between them, they just might build a lasting legacy.

From its earliest days in the 1830s, Oberlin College admitted men and women, white and Black students. Though the doors are officially open, school policy cannot change the hearts of classmates who refuse to see a woman, and especially a Black woman, excel. Despite constantly being forced to prove themselves, the women triumphantly overcome every obstacle and push through their pain. And as the world evolves around them, Mary and Anna persevere to build a legacy of success and excellence.

Based on the real lives of Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt, The Ladies Hall is a mirror into times of great change--where progress and new possibilities are met with violence and resistance . . . but hope always rises. And it rises still.

Praise for The Ladies Hall

’An important story of resilience and belonging. THE LADIES HALL brings a vital chapter of history to life while reminding us that true progress means lifting others as we rise.’

’In the 1880s, three Black women move into Ladies Hall residence at Oberlin College. The progressive college accepts Black students but for Mary, Anna, and Ida every day is a struggle to excel and prove themselves to their white classmates. Based on true characters, it’s not an easy story to tell, but Vanessa Miller skillfully balances the women’s friendships and genteel life on campus against the cruel realities of the era’s pervasive--and sometimes deadly--racism. This inspiring and informative novel is a must-read.’

’THE LADIES HALL is a beautifully envisioned novel that invites readers into a richly drawn world that’s too rarely seen in fiction. Through the stories of Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs, author Vanessa Miller deftly captures the triumphs, defeats, compromises, and breakthroughs that marked Black women’s experiences at integrated Oberlin College during a period of profound social change. Miller’s words convey her heroines’ courage and grit alongside their deeply human desires--for friendship, for love, for belonging, for purpose. THE LADIES HALL gifts us a layered, unflinching portrait of three American heroines and their determination to reshape the world for the better.’

’THE LADIES HALL is a vivid and deeply moving portrait of Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt as young women forging their identities at Oberlin College. Vanessa Miller captures both the barriers they faced and the brilliance they cultivated despite them. For those who honor the legacy of the NACWC, this novel resonates profoundly, revealing the early roots of ‘Lifting as We Climb.’ Miller offers not just history, but a celebration of Black women’s resilience, sisterhood, and rising power.’

’THE LADIES HALL, the fictionalized account of Mary Church Terrell, Ida Gibbs Hunt, and Anna Julia Cooper’s time at Oberlin, flung me, headlong, into reminiscences of my girlhood: crisp Easter clothes, the careful memorization of a monologue, a full-pewed church of elders, expectant that you will be great . . . and the trembly bravery of thinking you might be. Miller, in efficient, tender, and resonant manner, conjures how these women, just years removed from slavery, managed not only to graduate from this rigorous program but excel in the face of adversity, and this work made me feel immensely proud.’

Product Details

• Title: The Ladies Hall: A Novel
• Author: Vanessa Miller
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Print Publication Date: 2026
• Logos Release Date: 2025
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781400351121, 9781400351114, 1400351111, 9781400351138, 1400351138, 9781400351107, 1400351103, 140035112X
• Resource ID: LLS:9781400351121
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2026-01-30T16:13:24Z

About Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in her Rain Series into stage productions.
Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays, and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorified God.
Her books have received positive reviews, won Best Christian Fiction Awards, and topped best-sellers lists.
Vanessa is a dedicated Christian and devoted mother. She graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with a degree in organizational communication. In 2007, Vanessa was ordained by her church as an exhorter. Vanessa believes this was the right position for her because God has called her to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their places with the Lord.