Palmetto Rose

by J.E. Sumerau

Imagine engaging in sexual intimacy with someone you care about for the first time after surviving the loss of a serious, committed, loving relationship. In Palmetto Rose, this is where we find a bi+, gender fluid narrator affectionately called Kid by their loved ones. After five years trying to numb and escape the pain of losing their first love to a tragic accident, Kid begins to wake up, grieve, and try to rebuild their life in Atlanta, Georgia. Through their eyes, we watch as they seek to make sense of grief, pursue the possibility of a college education, and embark on their first serious romantic relationship since they were a teenager. In the process, we spend time with their chosen family of friends who navigate relationships, graduate programs, and developing careers. As the story unfolds, these friends face the ups and downs of early adulthood alongside the ways their individual and shared pasts find voices in their current endeavours, future plans, and intertwined lives. Although many characters in this story originally appeared in Cigarettes & Wine, Homecoming Queens, or Other People's Oysters, Palmetto Rose may be read as a stand-alone novel.

Palmetto Rose may be used as an educational tool for people seeking to better understand growing numbers of openly bisexual, transgender, and poly people; as a supplemental reading for courses across disciplines dealing with gender, sexualities, relationships, families, the life course, narratives, emotions, the American south, identities, culture, and / or intersectionality; or it can, of course, be read entirely for pleasure.

182 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2018

About the author

JE Sumerau is a novelist, scholar, and teacher writing about culture, relationships, & the southeastern U.S. in a wide variety of ways -> Follow on Instagram & Reels @jesumerau and Facebook @jesumerau & Twitter @jsumerau for updates.

Reviews

[Lain]

As a queer person who grew up in the southeastern U.S. I am constantly searching for stories that represent people like me and the folks I knew growing up. Sumerau tells the story I've been looking for in Palmetto Rose. She weaves together comedy and drama in a way that is impossible not to love. Page turner is an understatement! I wish I had this book when I was 15 so I could see the possibility for what my future could look like. Not to mention the fact that, FINALLY, there is a love story involving transgender characters that doesn't fetishize those experiences. this is something Sumerau does in all her books, but so refreshing to see her continuing this here. Palmetto Rose is a nuanced portrait of love, triumph, and healing. One that will appeal to all readers-- even those who are not queer and from the south. Read. This. Book. I also recommend the prequel to Palmetto Rose, Cigarettes & Wine. Different vibe than this one but another amazing story.

[Lain]

As a queer person who grew up in the southeastern U.S. I am constantly searching for stories that represent people like me and the folks I knew growing up. Sumerau tells the story I've been looking for in Palmetto Rose. She weaves together comedy and drama in a way that is impossible not to love. Page turner is an understatement! I wish I had this book when I was 15 so I could see the possibility for what my future could look like. Not to mention the fact that, FINALLY, there is a love story involving transgender characters that doesn't fetishize those experiences. this is something Sumerau does in all her books, but so refreshing to see her continuing this here. Palmetto Rose is a nuanced portrait of love, triumph, and healing. One that will appeal to all readers-- even those who are not queer and from the south. Read. This. Book. I also recommend the prequel to Palmetto Rose, Cigarettes & Wine. Different vibe than this one but another amazing story.

[Nik]

Palmetto Rose is a truly breathtaking novel and a great read for those to wish to learn or think about gender, sexualities, families, and/or trauma studies. All the characters come to life with their witty sense of humor and vibrant personalities, as the narrator makes sense and process their own loss and challenges during their trauma recovery. J Sumerau also clearly captures positive, realistic representations of bi+, queer, and trans people, something I always strive for as someone who loves reading LGBTQIA novels. If you want to start reading novels or want minority representation in your novels, Palmetto Rose is the book to read!