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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
No significant violence
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit sexual content and promiscuity are central; Vivian's sexual freedom is the book's subject
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking in theater and New York settings
Emotional Intensity
Some
Shame, self-forgiveness, and the psychological work of owning the life you've actually lived
What this book is about
Vivian Morris is sent to live with her aunt who runs a shabby Manhattan theater, where she falls in with showgirls, costumes, and a life of pleasure that has consequences. Told by an elderly Vivian looking back, Gilbert's novel is a celebration of a certain kind of female freedom and a meditation on desire, shame, and self-forgiveness.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Explicit sexual content and themes
1940s New York theater milieu
Reader Verification
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