In 1904, sixteen women travelled together by train to cover the St Louis World's Fair. The Sweet Sixteen traces the fateful ten-day trip that resulted in the formation of a professional club for the advancement of Canadian newspaper women.

Drawing upon letters, journals, interviews, and most significantly, newspaper stories written by the women themselves, Linda Kay narrates the journey to St Louis with evocative detail. Delving into the group dynamics and individual experiences of these women, Kay explores the cultural divide between the Anglophone and Francophone members of the group and provides compelling biographical sketches of each woman's life and work.

The Sweet Sixteen documents the struggles of a group of tenacious and talented women who, in 1904, did not have the right to vote, were not regarded as persons under the law, and were credentialed as journalists at a time when marriage and motherhood were considered a woman's one true calling. Their legacy -the Canadian Women's Press Club - is a testament to their daring.

Linda Kay (1951-2018) was professor emerita and chair of the journalism department at Concordia University.

Linda Kay's profile page