Drawing Outside the Lines by Susan J. Austin

Drawing Outside the Lines by Susan J. Austin is a fictional account of Julia Morgan’s early life. She was one of the first women architects to obtain an architecture license in California. The author does a wonderful job using information from historical letters, interviews with Julia’s friends, and expanding on history to write this delightful story. Little is known of Julia’s early years making this a treasure.

I was so drawn into this fascinating story. The author did a great job drawing on the known parts of Julia’s early life and using her imagination to create the story of Julia’s education through college. I very much appreciated those who paved the way for women in science, math, and engineering programs in the late 1800’s. It was hard to hear of the discimination faced by women in the sciences during this time. I found this account of Julia’s life very interesting and I kept reading to find out what had happened.

Drawing Outside the Lines is a great book that looks at the early years of Julia Morgan’s life, and is appropriate for ages 10 and up. As an adult I found it captivating and would highly recommend it.


I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

I live in Northern California with my biggest fan, my hubby whom I have known since the age of fifteen. We reside in a cozy 1924 bungalow with a garden populated by lemon, lime and orange trees, fussy but elegant rose bushes, and birds of every variety. While I spend considerable time in my writing studio, if you happen to walk by our house on a nice day, you may see me writing from the comfort of my front porch, a mug of coffee by my side.

Did I mention how much I love libraries and bookstores? Collecting books? Talking about books? Being inspired by books?