Rust Belt Femme

An NPR Best Book: "e;[Jolie's] story is both remarkable and utterly ordinary; any dreamy kid who grew up broke and weird will see a spark of themselves."e; -The New Republic One of NPR's Best Books of 2020Winner, Independent Publisher Awards Gold Medal for LGBTQ+ nonfiction Raechel Anne Jolie's early life in a working-class Cleveland exurb was full of race cars, Budweiser-drinking men covered in car grease, and the women who loved them. After her father came home from his third-shift job, took the garbage out to the curb and was hit by a drunk driver, her life changed. Raechel and her mother struggled for money: they were evicted, went days without utilities, and took their trauma out on one another. Raechel escaped to the progressive suburbs of Cleveland Heights, leaving the tractors and ranch-style homes in favor of a city with vintage marquees, music clubs, and people who talked about big ideas. It was the early '90s, full of Nirvana songs and chokers, flannel shirts and cut-off jean shorts, lesbian witches and local coffee shops. Rust Belt Femme is the story of how these twin foundations-rural Ohio poverty and alternative '90s culture-made Raechel into who she is today: a queer femme with PTSD and a deep love of the Midwest. "e;A sharp coming-of-age portrait."e; -Kirkus Reviews "e;This miraculous little book manages to plumb the depths of poverty, trauma, punk rock, maternal devotion, young love, and queer identity in language that is lyric and precise. I was blown away. You will be too."e; Steve Almond, New York Times bestselling author of Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow