I wanted to tell you about an interesting reading that has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 18th at The Big Blue Marble Bookstore in the Northwest section of Philadelphia. I’m looking forward to the reading and hope to meet some of you!
Suzette Mullen had been raised to play it safe—and she hated causing others pain. With college and law degrees, a kind and successful husband, two thriving adult sons, and an ocean-view vacation home, she lived a life many people would envy. But beneath the happy facade was a woman who watched her friends walk boldly through their lives and wondered what was holding her back from doing the same.
Digging into her past, Suzette uncovered a deeply buried truth: she’d been in love with her best friend—a woman—for nearly two decades—and still was.
Leaning into these “unspeakable” feelings would put Suzette’s identity, relationships, and life of privilege at risk—but taking this leap might be her only chance to feel fully alive. As Suzette opened herself up to new possibilities, an unexpected visit to a new city helped her discover who she was meant to be.
Introspective, bittersweet, and empowering, The Only Way Through Is Out (University of Wisconsin Press, 2024) is both a coming-out and coming-of-age story, as well as a call to action for every human who is longing to live authentically but is afraid of the cost.
When asked who she wrote The Only Way Through Is Out for, Suzette replied:” I wrote my story for every human who is longing to live out loud—including LGBTQ+ folx crushed by oppressive religious institutions; women at midlife who have deferred their own dreams; empty nesters who have stayed in unhappy marriages “for the kids”—every person who longs to live more authentically but is afraid of the cost.”
“I could not put this book down. Mullen shows us the search for one’s authentic self has no expiration date and is worth whatever it takes. This book is a glorious tale of tenacious courage that anyone searching for their own path in life will love.”
—Jennifer Louden, national bestselling author of Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next
“Candid, inspirational … An emotive memoir that issues a stirring call to women to choose self-actualization.”
—Foreword Reviews
Suzette will be in conversation with poet, essayist, and editor Athena Dixon, author most recently of The Loneliness Files, on Thursday, April 17th at 7 pm at Big Blue Marble Bookstore.https://www.bigbluemarblebooks.com/events/2024/3/14/the-only-way-through-is-out-suzette-mullen-in-conversation-with-athena-dixon
For more information on my most recent novel Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love, and marriage, click here.
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