Novel Journey's Out of the Slushpile Contest has selected The Nesting Dolls by Cynthia Rogers Parks as its first winner in the category of Historical Fiction. Initially set in Shanghai, China, weeks after the end of the Japanese occupation of the city during WWII, Nesting Dolls traces the story of four generations of women who lose their daughters to war and social upheaval. 

     Judges unanimously chose the selection from The Nesting Dolls, saying that although the chapter didn't being with an immediate, attention-grabbing hood, the mature, classic writing style, exotic but sympathetic protagonist, and vivid historical detail combined to pull the reader into the story quickly.

      Parks' first novel, Houses, was released  in November 2009.