3 'enticing' novels that put an unconventional twist on the May-December romance trope
CBC Radio | Posted: March 28, 2024 7:22 PM | Last Updated: March 28
The Next Chapter columnist Alicia Cox Thomson shares her literary recommendations with Ali Hassan
The romance genre is booming in popularity and more unconventional relationship tropes are popping up in the world of literary fiction. Canadian journalist Alicia Cox Thomson has noticed a trend of queer May-December romances and wanted to unpack why these stories are fascinating to read and dissect.
Thomson emphasized that what makes these relationships compelling as a reader is the lack of male power present in the narratives.
"I find that the dynamics change because there's an inherent power imbalance in a male-female relationship because we live in a patriarchal society. When you have a powerful woman and a less powerful younger woman — or in some of these books, the power shifts between these women — I feel like it's layered with just a bit more emotion. The dynamics become a bit more interesting.
Maybe that's because I'm a woman as well, but I just find it's a bit more layered because we haven't heard that story as much."
On The Next Chapter with Ali Hassan, Thomson shared three literary novels that subvert romantic expectations.
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer
When Natalie leaves her hometown for her first year of university in Toronto, she is 18 and unsure of herself or where she belongs. She meets Clara in her dorm who wants to be friends, and Rachel in her poetry class who is set on becoming a writer.
Natalie is at a loss when she meets Nora, a much older woman who she's inexplicably drawn to. In The Adult, Natalie navigates her way through newfound feelings and independence in this torrid love affair.
"It just feels like Natalie is so familiar to me as someone who left home for a big city. I don't want to diminish the queer aspect of this story, but it's a very relatable story about finding yourself and who you like, what you like – why? I find that their relationship is a self-discovery journey for Natalie," said Thomson.
Bronwyn Fischer is a Toronto-based writer born in Bahrain. The Adult is her first novel.
Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
Alice Sadie Celine is a novel that follows the three titular characters as their intertwined relationships become complicated. In California, Alice is a struggling theatre actor, Sadie has been her pragmatic best friend since high school and Sadie's mom, Celine, is a feminist writer and university professor.
When Celine meets Alice at her performance of The Winter's Tale, they are instantly attracted to one another. What follows is an intimate look into each of these women's lives.
"Celine's a grown woman, as eccentric and immature as she is, she is still a grown woman who has lived experiences and lived through life," said Thomson. "Alice, even though she grew up with this wealthy sort of support system of a cold family, she's not doing well."
Sarah Blakley-Cartwright is an American writer and publishing director of the Chicago Review of Books. Her other novel is the 2011 version of Red Riding Hood.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
In Big Swiss, Greta is a transcriptionist for an eccentric sex therapist named Om. When a sexually repressed married woman becomes Om's new client, Greta is entranced and begins to refer to her as "Big Swiss."
Unaware that Greta's been listening to her most private conversations, Greta starts a relationship with her when she recognizes her voice in town in this tangled tale of love and obsession.
"Big Swiss is like an object to Greta. Even though she's infatuated with her and obsessed with her, she never sees her as a real person, she sees her as a prize in their town," said Thomson.
Jen Beagin is a writer currently living in Hudson, New York. Her other novels include Pretend I'm Dead and Vacuum in the Dark.
Alicia Cox Thomson's comments have been edited for length and clarity.