In 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It's not easy being gay in Washington, DC, in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet. As she juggles a romance she must keep hidden and a newfound ambition to write and publish her own story, she risks exposing herself--and Marie--to a danger all too real. Sixty-two years later, Abby Zimet can't stop thinking about her senior project and its subject--classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. Between the pages of her favorite book, the stresses of Abby's own life are lost to the fictional hopes, desires and tragedies of the characters she's reading about. She feels especially connected to one author, a woman who wrote under the pseudonym "Marian Love," and becomes determined to track her down and discover her true identity.
In this novel told in dual narratives, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley weaves together the lives of two young women connected across generations through the power of words. A stunning story of bravery, love, how far we've come and how much farther we have to go.
About the Author :
Robin Talley studied literature and communications at American University. She lives in Washington, DC, with her wife, but visits both Boston and New York regularly despite her moral opposition to Massachusetts winters and Times Square. Her first book was 2014's Lies We Tell Ourselves. Visit her online at robintalley.com or on Twitter at @robin_talley.
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than ten years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories.
Review :
"Pulp pops off the page, and Talley is at her best...A humdinger of a read. I defy anyone to put it down until the end!"
-- "Saundra Mitchell, author of the Vespertine series"
"[A] wonderfully ambitious and incredibly creative exploration of queer literary history."
-- "Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights"
"Creatively spanning time and genre...Fun but substantive."
-- "Booklist"
"Skillfully illustrates the fear and isolation of being a lesbian teen in unforgiving times, making the larger historical context relatable and the intimate aspects visceral...A sweeping, engrossing drama full of important moments."
-- "Library Journal (starred review)"
"Talley toggles effectively between excerpts from Janet's book, the two women's lives, and Abby's research as the stories draw together...The tale is original and delivers some interesting LGBTQ history, and the tone of the novels within it is pleasantly pulpy."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"The books within a book are cleverly written to mimic pulp styles, and the superlative pacing will hook readers...Suspenseful parallel lesbian love stories deftly illuminate important events in LGBTQ history."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
