BIOGRAPHY

The Fixed Stars

Abrams. May 2020. 256p. ISBN 9781419742996. $25. MEMOIR
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When food writer Wizenberg (A Homemade Life) reports for jury duty, she is surprised to find herself attracted to the female defense attorney. Even though she has been married to her husband for a decade and they have a toddler at home, she can’t shake the thought of this woman. What follows is an intimate account of how this chance encounter upended her marriage and set in motion a new direction for her life and for her family. Drawing on the work of queer writers, including Alison Bechdel and Maggie Nelson, Wizenberg’s beautifully written memoir explores what it’s like to come out even while continuing to question one’s identity and sexual orientation. The book tackles these complicated themes and the meaning of family with compassion and tenderness.
VERDICT An essential addition that will resonate with fans of Wizenberg’s earlier memoirs and anyone probing the complicated ways that sexuality and traditional family life overlap or diverge.
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