December 2022 MBR The LGBT Studies Shelf

The LGBT Studies Shelf

Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love
Felice Cohen
Dividends Press
9798985701708, $14.99, PB, 261pp

https://www.amazon.com/Half-Coming-Age-Memoir-Forbidden/dp/B09XZM7FC2

Synopsis: At twenty-three, Felice Cohen was, like other recent college grads, hesitant about entering the real world, with the added stress of coming out as gay in the early nineties. Focused on how to land a full-time position as a writer, falling in love was the last thing on her mind.

But fall in love she did. With her boss, a woman thirty-four years older.

Felice and Sarah embarked on a high-stakes, year-long love affair. Addicted to the high of first love, Felice was enthralled by Sarah's attention and content to hide their love in the shadows. Sarah, meanwhile, threw caution to the wind, risking her comfortably established life that included a prestigious job and long-term girlfriend. Though not perfect, it was enough.

That was until their secret was exposed, forcing Felice to publicly acknowledge their illicit love or start a new life for herself. Felice chose to walk away.

"Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love" is candid coming-of-age memoir (and as compelling a read as deftly scripted novel) Felice chronicles the happiness and heartbreak of an age-gap love affair while struggling to figure out the direction of her future. Ultimately, this is a story about navigating life's unpredictable path while following one's heart, and finding acceptance.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and of special appeal to readers with an interest in LGBTQ biographies and memoirs, "Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love" is a strongly recommended addition to community and academic library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Felice Cohen (www.felicecohen.com) is a Holocaust educator. Her previous book, "90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (...or More)" received numerous self-help book awards and was inspired by the YouTube video of her 90-square-foot New York City studio that went viral with over 25 million views. Felice has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC, CBS, NPR, Time, Globe & Mail, New York Daily News, the Daily Mail and more. As the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors, Felice is also the author of "What Papa Told Me", a memoir about her grandfather's life before, during and after the war. That book has been endorsed by Elie Wiesel and Yad Vashem in Israel, is taught in schools across the country, has been translated into Polish, and has sold around the world.

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