"This is the best kind of historical fiction—compelling, deeply human storytelling that brings a true moment to life."

– Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author

ON SALE JANUARY 19, 2027

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About The Night Wtiches

On sale November 10 in Canada, January 19, 2027 in US

1941: As the Nazis flatten her country, Marina Raskova, a record-breaking Russian flight navigator, forms the first and only all-female aviation regiment in WWII. Forced to fly archaic open-cockpit biplanes, made of canvas and wood, with a top speed of just 94 miles an hour, these women endure harsh disadvantages. After their most tragic night of the war, the females in this unprecedented regiment must overcome their grief and shaken composure to complete their missions safely and prove their worth to their male coun­terparts, who have persistently undermined their confidence. Told through the eyes of Major Raskova, Commander Dunka Bershanskaya, a single mother worried about her son back home, Lina Gelman, a loyal Jewish navigator, and Nadia Popova, an aspiring singer and daring pilot, The Night Witches is the story of valiant women in the face of staggering odds.

Inspired by real women and true events.

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About Shelly

Shelly Sandersis the bestselling author of historical fiction celebrating unsung women entangled in underexplored historical events. Her novels include the bestsellers,The Night Sparrow andDaughters of the Occupation, as well as three acclaimed young-adult novels. She is renowned for her "exquisitely rendered portrayals of lives under extraordinary strain" (Kirkus) and her authentic depiction of history, which she attributes to her years as a journalist. Shelly has written essays forWriter’s Digest,LitHub, the Jewish Book Council’sPB Daily, and she has spoken about the Forgotten Female Fighters: Jewish Women on the Frontline at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, The Magnes Jewish Book Festival, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal, The Jewish Community Library in San Francisco, synagogues and libraries. In 2025, she was awarded a fellowship at the Ventspils International Writer’s and Translators’ House. Born in Canada, Shelly was raised in Chicago and now lives in Ontario.

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"A gripping, edge-of-the-seat story about a group of Russian women who defied the odds to become a record-breaking regiment of World War Two aviators." 

—Gill Paul, International bestselling author of 13 novels including The Secret Wife and The Lost Daughter

With compassion and insight, Shelly Sanders brings to life a little-known chapter of history that deserves to be remembered.
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—Genevieve Graham, USA Today & Canadian Bestselling author of 10 novels including The Secret Keeper and On Isabella Street

"The Night Witches is an impeccably researched tale, bringing to life stories based on the real heroines who swooped down from the sky and terrorized the Nazis… an excellent addition to the bookshelves of readers of WW2 fiction.” 

—Donna Jones Alward, author of When the World Fell Silent

“A riveting story that will keep you  turning the pages way into the night.”

—JOY FIELDING, bestselling author, All the Wrong Places on Daughters of the Occupation

“A gripping historical saga that skillfully addresses the trauma of the Holocaust.”

—KIRKUS, Starred Review on Daughters of the Occupation

“Daughters of the Occupation is one of the most authentic and profound works of historical fiction I have ever read about World War II and the Holocaust.”

—BOOKTRIB

“The title of this haunting novel refers not only to the victims of Latvia’s Holocaust, but also to their descendants.”

—WASHINGTON POST on Daughters of the Occupation

“A highly emotional tale, charged with heartbreak and suffering, yet awash with perseverance, persistence, and a strong will to survive, this is a read that will stay in the minds of those who are lucky enough to read it.”

—NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS on Daughters of the Occupation

“Daughters of the Occupation is a neatly crafted saga… a story of tentative hope in a world of menace, as three generations strive to understand who they are, where they came from, and how they can feel free.”

—LUCY ADLINGTON, author NYT bestseller, The Dressmakers of Auschwitz

“In an artful way throughout this absorbing, chilling tale, characters wonder what can stop the tragedy of hatred… a question that will prompt readers to wonder the same.”

—BOOKLIST, Starred Review on Rachel's Secret

Also by Shelly

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Latest Blog Post

Margarita Kotikovskaya: A Jewish Sniper Who Uncovered the Fate of 800 POW’s

On a rainy spring day in 1942, Margarita Kotikovskaya, a Jewish woman from the Odessa Oblast (administrative region) emerged from a dugout at a Red Army regimental command post, clutching her forage cap in her hands. A fourth-year law student at Leningrad University when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Margarita had been called up to serve as a lieutenant with the 4th Guards Rifle Division…