Ahead of Her Time: The Trailblazing Life and Literary Legacy of Ann Head is the Silver Medal winner in the Biography category of the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs).
The award recognizes excellence in independent publishing and honors outstanding books from independent publishers around the world. The biography tells the remarkable story of Ann Head, the pioneering Southern novelist whose work influenced generations of writers.
Read the news article celebrating Nancy’s IPPY award HERE
About the book:
A blue blood and a bohemian, author Ann Head was an essential voice of mid-century fiction, known for challenging societal norms and amplifying women’s struggles in an era that often silenced them. Now, for the first time, her mysterious personal life is unveiled through the lens of her eldest daughter, Nancy Thode. Through meticulous archival work and transcriptions of Head’s journals, Thode offers an intimate portrait of a writer whose life and fiction were deeply intertwined — one who influenced a generation of writers, including her student, the acclaimed Pat Conroy, who noted in his autobiography that "every time I sell a book, I put a rose on her grave." - Evening Post Books
Ahead of Her Time is available in softback, Kindle, and audio.
NANCYTHODE
Ahead of Her Time: Winner of the 2026 Silver IPPY Award for Biography
nthodeauthor@gmail.com
Watch some of the videos of Nancy’s Book Talks
"Ann Head's life reminds us that the quietest voices can leave the loudest echoes. I wanted to give her story the spotlight it always deserved." — Nancy Thode
Celebrating the presentation of Ahead of Her Time at the Beaufort Library
“Thank you Betty Chamlee for hosting a delughtful Book Club”
Read the article in the Greenwich Free Press HERE
National Award-winning Author
Nancy Thode is available to discuss her book with book clubs or other interested groups.
Contact her at nancythodeauthor@gmail.com
A signed, limited hardback edition is available through the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center located in Beaufort, South Carolina. Proceeds benefit the Center.