7 Books About Lesbian Life
A collection of vintage lesbian protest pins. From lesbianherstorian on Tumblr.
In honor of Lesbian Visibility Week, this reading list is made up of books that explore the nuances, challenges, and joys of embracing and celebrating lesbian identity.
The New Lesbian Pulp edited by Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz
In The New Lesbian Pulp, editors Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz revive and repurpose lesbian pulp fiction, incorporating nuance into the classic genre that thrived during the 1950s. Edgy, lusty stories about vigilante lesbians, witches, and murder make up this exciting collection.
Fiebre Tropical by Julián Delgado Lopera
Winner of the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, Fiebre Tropical is a rich coming-of-age story that follows Francisca, a Colombian teenager who has been uprooted by her family’s move to Miami. Throughout the novel, Francisca adapts and shapeshifts, especially as she falls in love with Carmen, the daughter of an evangelical pastor.
Thérèse and Isabelle by Violette Leduc
Thérèse and Isabelle tells the story of two young school girls who become consumed with the experience of first love. A story with a history of censorship, this book is an iconic depiction of emerging sexuality and the intense experience of breaking boundaries.
On Strike Against God by Joanna Russ
A prolific writer, academic, and feminist, Joanna Russ authored numerous works of science fiction, fantasy, and feminist literary criticism during her lifetime. On Strike Against God, originally published in 1980, depicts the homophobia and misogyny experienced by lesbians within queer and feminist movements. Alison Bechdel writes that “Russ was both enlisting me in her struggle and, I see now, throwing me a rope so I wouldn’t have to struggle quite as much as she did.”
We Were Witches by Ariel Gore
We Were Witches is a memoiristic novel about a single lesbian mother navigating a sexist and homophobic world. While pursuing an education, she is forced to deal with phallocratic narratives that punish unconventional women and push them to conform. Queer identity, debt, and custody disputes permeate this devastatingly magical story.
We, Too, Must Love by Ann Aldrich
Based on countless letters from women across the United States, We, Too, Must Love is a literary lesbian landmark that defined and illuminated large swaths of lesbian culture. Ann Aldrich’s journalistic approach to describing stereotypes, bar scenes, and questions of class division guides readers through 1950s homosexual culture.
Folly by Maureen Brady
In the midst of a strike at a North Carolina textile factory, two very different women fall for each other. A story about labor, homophobia, and racism, Folly is also a narrative about how impactful love can be in a harsh, uncaring world.
