Orpheus Girl Book
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RELEASE DATE - 31 APRIL 2022
Reading level - 13 to 17 years.
In her debut novel, award-winning poet Brynne Rebele-Henry re-imagines the Orpheus myth as a love story between two teenage girls who are sent to conversion therapy after being caught together in an intimate moment.
Abandoned by a single mother she never knew, 16-year-old Raya--obsessed with ancient myths--lives with her grandmother in a small conservative Texas town. For years Raya has fought to hide her feelings for her best friend and true love, Sarah. When the two are outed, they are sent to Friendly Saviours: a re-education camp meant to "fix" them and make them heterosexual. Upon arrival, Raya vows to assume the role of Orpheus, to return to the world of the living with her love--and after she, Sarah, and the other teen residents are subjected to abusive and brutal "treatments" by the staff, Raya only becomes more determined to escape.
In a haunting voice reminiscent of Sylvia Plath and the contemporary lyricism of David Levithan, Brynne Rebele-Henry weaves a powerful inversion of the Orpheus myth informed by the disturbing real-world truths of conversion therapy. Orpheus Girl is a story of dysfunctional families, trauma, first love, heartbreak, and ultimately, the fierce adolescent resilience that has the power to triumph over darkness and ignorance.
CW: There are scenes in this book that depict self-harm, homophobia, transphobia, and violence against LGBTQ characters.
"Raya and Sarah's story is a credit to Rebele-Henry's own teen voice, mature beyond her years. The emotionally dramatic narrative . . . rings incredibly true."
NPR
"A haunting, brutally true stroke of genius."
Meredith Russo, Stonewall Award winning author of If I Was Your Girl
"This raw and lyrical book doesn't flinch away from the devastating brutality of conversion therapy, bravely bearing witness to the mental and physical pain the girls experience as a direct result of homophobia. Despite the heavy subject matter, it's able to maintain a degree of lightness and hope."
Reedsy
"An unflinching look at exclusion, hate and resilience."
Ms. Magazine
"The love between these two girls is the beating heart of this novel, and this romance combined with the intense masquerade they must constantly perform, 'just pretending' their feelings away, is where Rebele-Henry succeeds at portraying the aching duality of being queer in an environment that will not allow it . . . Orpheus Girl is a modern epic that helps us think about the older epics, and what they have still to offer us."
Chicago Review of Books
"A testament to true love and resiliency . . . it's a joy to read the elegiac rhythm she has so deftly created with ever-turning, dynamic language."
Counterclock Journal
| Author | Brynne Rebele-Henry |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 176 |
| ISBN |
9781641291736 |
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