Martha Anne Toll is a novelist and literary and cultural critic. Her second novel, Duet for One, a journey through grief and a musical love story, came out in spring 2025 to a generous welcome. Her debut novel, Three Muses, won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction and was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize. A graduate of Yale, Toll is a book critic for NPR, the Washington Post, Lilith Magazine, Pointe Magazine, and a range of other publications. She holds a B.A. Degree in Music, and her classical music training informs her artistic practice. She holds a J.D. Degree from Boston University School of Law, and comes to writing professionally after a career dedicated to social justice. Toll is a recipient of Fellowships from the Vashon Center for the Arts, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Virginia and the South of France, Monson Arts, and Dairy Hollow. Toll grew up in Philadelphia, and now lives with her climate activist husband in Washington, D.C. They are the lucky parents of two adult daughters.
