Pride month recommendation:'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit'

A book review!

Before I get into my review I’m excited to say this is my first published piece! For those who missed it, this review was featured in the Pride themed newsletter released by Tangerine Literary earlier this month. I also have a poem that will be released in their first issue ‘Intersections’ later this month. I will eventually post that on my other publication ‘Find Beauty In The Mundane’, but, until then, I recommend checking them out if you are looking to read some original, queer themed work this month!

---

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit-

a review of Jeanette Winterson’s classic.

First published by Tangerine Literary.

Part-fantasy, part-reality. This novel is wholly human.

Winterson’s semi-autobiographical account of sapphic awakening, set within the climate of Pentecostal rural Britain, is deserving of a wider readership. The novel follows Jeanette, an only child navigating her identity amidst religious dogma and internal conflict.

The prose is carefully segmented into chapters that correspond with sections of The Bible, recontextualising queer romance as its own gospel, and coming of age a sacramental pilgrimage. Beyond biblical allusion, the novel is doused in literary references. It utilizes the impact of storytelling as a manipulation tactic within the narrative, whilst simultaneously weaving Winterson’s personal inspirations into the text.

Amidst this candour, at times a social realist portrayal of youth, are vignettes of realism: A parable that mirrors Jeanette’s inner debate of ‘morality’ and authenticity. Here the novel encapsulates the subjective, endorsing feeling over concrete fact, never losing its personal perspective.

Despite its publication over forty years ago, the suppression, isolation and self-discovery continue to resonate, bridging a generational gap and solidifying the novel as timeless.

Love is presented across the ages, finding its shape within the transition from childhood to adulthood. Family is complex yet never portrayed without empathy and nuance. The platonic is a formative force throughout.

If there is one thing to take from the text, it is that love finds a way: through companionship, friendship and self-acceptance.

Let this be the year that you look to work of the past to understand your own future. Remember ‘Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit’; love comes in many forms.

---

Many thanks for reading! You can support this page by subscribing (for free!), sharing your thoughts in the comments and checking out my instagram for updates @ 0candysays0

Love, Candy xx