Rubyfruit Jungle

Brown’s (In Her Day) classic coming-of-age tale, first published in 1973, tells the story of Molly Bolt, an inimitable spitfire growing up in the U.S. during the 1950s. Progressive in some respects but old-fashioned in others, Brown’s novel follows Molly from age seven to adulthood. Her feisty and unrelenting need for justice and equal treatment in the South make her a force to be reckoned with. Besides discussing lesbian relationships and experiences, Brown’s novel also delves into sexism, racism, homophobia, and classism. The audio is narrated by Academy Award winner Anna Paquin, herself an advocate for LGBTQ+ equity. She lends a robust quality to this first ever aural production. Paquin captures the myriad of emotions in this seminal story, and the pace of the novel feels natural and unforced.