A review by susiedoom
Naked in the Promised Land: A Memoir by Lillian Faderman

4.0

I knew Lillian Faderman only by her research, after reading a couple of her books on lesbian history during grad school. I had no idea how interesting her background is! It's such a treasure to hear Faderman's story in her own words. Queer lives are so often erased or only analyzed through a modern lens. In this memoir, Faderman describes her experience growing up in 1940s/50s New York and L.A. as a young lesbian, and her journey from trying to be a child star to performing as a burlesque star to becoming the lesbian historian she's known as today. I really enjoyed her story; so much was unexpected, and so much is still relevant today. I do wish some of the language around race, ethnicity, and class had been updated in this 2020 edition. But beyond that, it's a really valuable text, and I'm grateful for the chance to read it. Especially with the foreword from Carmen Maria Machado - it's worth buying for that alone!