Enormously affecting story about a butch lesbian trying to navigate social prejudice in 1970s America. It is, fair to say, very difficult to read at points. There's a lot of sexual assault in here, but I rather expect that this is a horrifying reflection of reality, which really just makes the reading of it worse. Looking away does no good, however, but the novel is clear on the point that for all the suffering and trauma of the protagonist, she is more than the victim of her terrible experiences. Jess is a particularly compelling character, informed by the author's own real life experience I suspect, and watching her grope and fumble her way to an understanding of herself and her life is frankly a painful read. Nonetheless, it's a rewarding read, and one that provokes a great deal of empathy.