Author Jane Loeb Rubin discusses latest novel at Sparta Books
Sparta. Local author Jane Loeb Rubin discussed her latest historical novel, Mayhem in the Mountains, during a Sept. 23 event at Sparta Books.
| 28 Sep 2026 | 01:04
Jane Loeb Rubin speaks on her book. "Mayhem in the Mountains."
Local author Jane Loeb Rubin returned to Sparta Books on Sept. 23 to discuss her latest historical novel, Mayhem in the Mountains.
Mayhem in the Mountains is the fourth installment in Rubin’s award-winning Gilded City Series. Set in the Catskills in 1924, the novel follows the Isaacson family as they navigate a period marked by Prohibition, bootlegging, political tensions and the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in the North.
Rubin’s interest in historical fiction grew from research into her family history and the history of medicine. After a cancer diagnosis revealed a genetic defect, Rubin began researching her family roots while working as a health care executive and raising research funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.
Her research led her to her great-grandmother, Mathilda “Tillie,” who arrived in New York City as a baby in 1866. With limited information about Tillie’s life, Rubin created a fictional account of her experiences.
That research eventually led to Rubin’s historical fiction series, which explores subjects including midwives, pregnancy risks, period medicine, reproductive laws and financial security.
The series began with In the Hands of Women and its prequel, Threadbare. The third installment, Over There, was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society’s 2024 First Chapters Competition and the 2025 Hemingway Awards.
