What is the reason for a woman, a writing woman, a lesbian woman, to tell her story? In search of answers, this narrator hits the road. Using Patricia Highsmith’s book Carol as a guide, the first novel about the love story of two women with a relatively happy ending, she aims to find out what it means to be visible and occupy space. Following the route and places visited by Carol and Therese on their road trip through the Midwest, she connects women artists to social trends, bridging past and present. Her journey leads her to contemporary writers of lesbian literature, possible new love and a few hard insights about herself.
“Magnificent Monster is a beautifully written, honest and captivating book about a woman trying to give loss a place in her life, wanting to examine what it means to be a woman, queer, a lover, a widow. Pierets poses open questions about sexuality, gender, and homosexual love, looking for companions in other artists and writers. Without doubt one of the books of the year.” – Het Nieuwsblad ★★★★★