TOMBOYLAND

Author Melissa Faliveno narrates incisive, relatable essays centered on her identities as a queer-identified, androgynous-appearing woman raised in the Midwest. Faliveno's tone as she delves into her past reveals the kind of complicated relationship many of us have with our hometowns and former lives. Her youthful fascination with tornadoes, recounted in her discussions of the film TWISTER and the real-life destruction of the town of Barneveld in 1984, contains the themes of safety and shared culture that permeate the entire collection. Faliveno imbues her complex subject matter with sensitivity, humor, and self-awareness. The author's conversational tone and pacing engage listeners throughout as she examines how regional menus, family traditions, sports, and gender expectations influenced her development--and continue to do so. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]