From Physics to Fiction: Tara Weinstein Publishes Her Debut Novel
Ms. Tara Weinstein, who is D-E’s Science Department Chair, teaches Upper School Physics, and enjoys a range of hobbies from dancing to weaving, can now add published novelist to her list of accomplishments! Ms Weinstein’s debut novel, The Only Way Out Is Through (Blair; 2026), won the independent publisher’s annual Bakwin Literary Award in 2024, and she celebrated its August release with two book launches last month and more to come.
The first event, on August 13, was a well-attended book signing and chat with writer and fellow author Anne Ray at the P&T Knitwear bookstore in New York, where Ms. Weinstein read excerpts from her riveting novel about a young woman who was kidnapped as a child and must put together the pieces of her past life to move forward. On August 25, she hosted a virtual conversation with novelist and educator Kionna Walker LeMalle.
During the in-person event, Ms. Weinstein revealed that when she’s not teaching or writing, her “goal in life is to learn to do everything,” and she tapped into these numerous interests as she developed the characters for her novel. She remarked that traditional hobbies, such as knitting and weaving, give her “something that I can complete,” and they give her book’s protagonist, Bria Singer, confidence as she navigates breaking free of a sheltered life.
Ms. Weinstein also delved into the story’s theme of escape. “I love the idea of contrasts and pushing things to extremes,” she said. Bria is a small-town girl who grew up in a strict environment without mainstream conveniences and eventually moves to New York City, where Canadian-born Ms. Weinstein currently lives. She used this proximity to research some historical sites that were relevant to her character’s journey. In addition, Ms. Weinstein pored over historical fiction, including by Laura Ingalls Wilder, to gain a better sense of living with modest sensibilities and without modern technology.
Ms. Weinstein’s next book event will be hosted by the #YeahYouWrite Reading Series on Monday, November 2, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Someday Bar Brooklyn in Brooklyn, NY. Additional events are expected to be announced.
Congratulations, Ms. Weinstein—we’re incredibly proud of you! To purchase The Only Way Out Is Through, visit your local independent bookstore or buy online via Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Blair Pub, or Amazon.