Alison Hammer has been spinning words to tell stories since she learned how to talk. A graduate of the University of Florida and the Creative Circus in Atlanta, she lived in 9 cities before settling down in Chicago. During the day, Alison is a VP Creative Director at an advertising agency, but on nights and weekends you can find her writing upmarket women’s fiction. Alison is represented by Joanna MacKenzie of Nelson Literary Agency. Her debut novel YOU AND ME AND US is out now from William Morrow (HarperCollins).

(And YOU AND ME AND US is earning praise right and left — check it out! Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I’M FINE AND NEITHER ARE YOU, calls it “that rare novel you want to savor even as you’re turning the pages as fast as possible. This poignant and heartrending story of a family redefining their roles in the face of a crisis made me smile and cry. Even better, it made me profoundly grateful for my own family. Alison Hammer is an exciting new voice in women’s fiction, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.”)

Alison’s pick for #read99women is MINOR DRAMAS AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Kathleen West.

“With short, punchy chapters and a rotating cast of characters, Kathleen West's debut reads like Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies—only the 'crime' takes place in the hallways of Liston Heights High School and centers around an overly engaged drama club parent….You should do yourself a favor and put this amazing debut on your to read list. One of my favorite reads of the year!”

Read the rest of Alison’s rave on Goodreads.