by Jaimy Gordon
First published 1999
The Bogeywoman carves messages into her arms at summer camp, landing herself in a psychiatric hospital. She joins other misfits in the ward, forming a musical group and pulling pranks that include stealing a nitrogen oxide machine. When her anorexic friend accidentally catches fire, the girl faces new depths of isolation. Then she meets Madame Zuk, an exotic psychiatrist who captivates her immediately. What begins as friendship between patient and doctor transforms into something forbidden. Their love affair becomes a journey that forces the girl to confront who she really is. Gordon explores the messy territory where healing and desire intersect, where a young woman discovers herself through connection with someone she should not love.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: forbidden-love, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Summer Camp
Period: 20th-century
300 pages · Paperback · Sun & Moon Press
Content warnings: mental-illness, sexual-content