Good Woman

A raw and lyrical exploration of the confining expectations of womanhood and, if we dare, what lies beyond those limitations, from a writer Roxane Gay calls ‘vibrant and thoughtful.’

Across time and location, women were raised to be agreeable and 'good'. Hyper-visible as sexual objects but invisible as full people. Living in a physical world created by men for men. Taking on the ultimate role of birth-giver and caretaker, yet seeing it remain an unsung act, even as it’s a God-like creation. Only in midlife did Nolan begin to realise she was capable of living outside these cages of conditioning so slyly insidious that they’re nearly invisible.

Good Woman elegantly probes the knotty conditions themselves, the costs of adhering to them, and what happens when one refuses to comply. The twelve stunning and unforgettable essays blend memoir, reportage, and history to create a collection that is alternately bold, brash, and explosive, and ravishingly tender, sensual, and joyous. Nolan takes aim at big and old ideas, and she does not miss. Hers is a testimony to witness and to savour.

'A stone cold, knock-out punch delivered with the caress of a silk glove.’ – Brittany Cooper

‘If you love the essays of Roxane Gay or Rebecca Solnit, Nolan’s book will be your brilliant new companion.‘ – Sarah Rhul

‘Poetic, fierce, tender, sexy, and scholarly‘ – Tracy Clark-Flory

‘This good woman thinks boldly and writes with exhilarating passion. Whatever the subject – gender, sex, race, class, art, politics – she disrupts piety and honours complexity. These are smart and daring essays to learn from and revel in.’ – Margo Jefferson

‘Good Woman is everything we have come to expect from Nolan: blisteringly intelligent, well-honed, sharp arguments laid next to the softest and most tender parts of herself – bared to us, encouraging us to do the same…arresting, sobering, electrifying work.’ – Eirinie Carson

‘Electrifying… Startlingly clear-eyed… Stunning in scope… Revelatory… Crafted with Nolan’s intellectually curious, animated narration, Good Woman will resonate with readers who sense that things are not working out quite the way they should.’ – Shelf Awareness

About the Author

Savala Nolan is the author of Don’t Let It Get You Down and director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

She has been featured in Vogue, Time, Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, NPR and more. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.