“Profanity”
in Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls
For ages 12 plus
Sumach Press
The idea of my mother getting it on with Larry was bad enough. Witnessing their foreplay was even worse. Did I need a bulging reminder of what they did in bed?
Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, edited by Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley, is a collection of stories about girls who stand against convention, and girls who wish they could. Hilarious and edgy, the collection is about holding back and letting loose, about sex and glamour and common sense. Here are heroines that strike a chord and make us think.
In “Profanity,” Karen Krossing explores the effects of her mother’s pregnancy on teenage Claudia, who is repulsed by the act her mother performed to produce her bulging stomach. This bulge, which Claudia calls the “profanity,” begins to link with her confused thoughts about her own sexual impulses.
Honours
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Teens
- Resource Links Best of the Year 2008
Media
- A Teacher’s Guide is available.
Reviews
“An aptly named collection of stories about body image and mothers and daughters coming together and growing apart. A fresh, honest, and entertaining anthology.”
School Library Journal
“Written in a wonderfully direct and often hilariously offbeat way that will make you want to keep reading.”
A ‘n’ E Vibe
“The most refreshing element of the book is the solid chorus of girls who push aside cultural stereotypes and maternal expectations to become their best selves.”
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Smart and satisfying tales. The dialogue is sharp and believably teenaged, the content often embarrassingly true to life, and the tone is never condescending … An eminently readable collection … one that may be as enlightening and enjoyable for mothers as their teenage daughters.”
Quill & Quire
“The stories are very strong, with sympathetic girl protagonists, colourful purposeful mothers, realistic family situations and the gleaming knife of raw emotion. Highly Recommended.”
Canadian Review of Materials
“Cleavage is an excellent anthology that shows young readers it is alright to break away from the norm, and to be your own person, no matter what your friends, or even your parents think.”
rabble.ca
“With short stories that cover everything from eating and body issues, peer acceptance, and mother-daughter relationships, this book will not only appeal to a wide audience but will also be of use in many aspects of the curriculum.”
Resource Links
“Cleavage takes a look at what the real girl is, no matter what the adversity she may be facing.”
What If? Magazine
“Two thumbs up.”
Girls Can Do Anything Magazine
“A great compilation. I was knocked out by some very strong stories by exciting new writers – their takes on the subject of girls and their bodies were funny and fresh and a delight to read.”
Susan Juby, author