A gripping memoir of sex, self-worth, female friendship and what it means to be a young woman today.
The Lotus Eaters is a vividly written story of self-redemption from a sharp new voice in Australian memoir. Delicately interweaving past and present, Emily Clements dissects the patterns of blame and shame women form around their bodies and within relationships by reflecting on her own experiences throughout her teens and into her twenties.
When a stand-off with her best friend sees 19-year-old Emily stranded in Vietnam, she is alone for the first time and adrift in a new environment. With seemingly nothing to lose, she makes the biggest decision of her life—to stay. But Emily’s attempts to bridge a yawning loneliness spur a downward spiral of recklessness, as she hurtles from one sexual encounter to the next. It will take a truly terrifying experience for her to understand that sex is both a weapon and a wound in her battle for self-worth and empowerment.
The Lotus Eaters taps into the growing consciousness around women’s stories as seen in Three Women by Lisa Taddeo and Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee.
Perceptive, self-aware and profound, Emily Clements delivers an assured and mature reflection on her own life that readers will find achingly relevant to our time.