Sexuality, Historical Study & Educational Resources, Women in History, Behavioral Sciences, Human Sexuality, Women's Studies 

"We begin in suburban Indiana with Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. She passes her days cooking and cleaning for a man who refuses to kiss her on the mouth, protesting that "the sensation offends" him. To Lina's horror, even her marriage counselor says her husband's position is valid. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks. When she reconnects with an old flame through social media, she embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who finds a confidant in her handsome, married English teacher. By Maggie's account, supportive nightly texts and phone calls evolve into a clandestine physical relationship, with plans to skip school on her eighteenth birthday and make love all day; instead, he breaks up with her on the morning he turns thirty. A few years later, Maggie has no degree, no career, and no dreams to live for. When she learns that this man has been named North Dakota's Teacher of the Year, she steps forward with her story -- and is met with disbelief by former schoolmates and the jury that hears her case. The trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the Northeast, we meet Sloane -- a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner -- who is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women. He picks out partners for her alone or for a threesome, and she ensures that everyone's needs are satisfied. For years, Sloane has been asking herself where her husband's desire ends and hers begins. One day, they invite a new man into their bed, but he brings a secret with him that will finally force Sloane to confront the uneven power dynamics that fuel their lifestyle. Based on years of immersive reporting, and told with astonishing frankness and immediacy, Three Women is a groundbreaking portrait of erotic longing in today's America, exposing the fragility, complexity, and inequality of female desire with unprecedented depth and emotional power."--Dust jacket.
Indiana: Lina passes her days cooking and cleaning for her husband, who refuses to kiss her on the mouth; even her marriage counselor says her husband's position is valid. Reconnecting with an old flame through social media, she embarks on an affair. North Dakota: high school student Maggie finds a confidant in her married English teacher; supportive texts and phone calls evolve into a clandestine physical relationship. In the Northeast: Sloane, a successful restaurant owner, is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women; he picks out partners for her and she ensures that everyone's needs are satisfied. Taddeo examines erotic longing and exposes the inequality of female desire with unprecedented depth and emotional power. -- adapted from jacket 

Publisher Comments
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"THIS IS THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. This is it. This is the one...It blew the top of my head off and I haven't been able to stop thinking or talking about it since." Elizabeth Gilbert

"Taddeo spent eight years reporting this groundbreaking book...Breathtaking...Staggeringly intimate." Entertainment Weekly

"A breathtaking and important book...What a fine thing it is to be enthralled by another writer's sentences. To be stunned by her intellect and heart." Cheryl Strayed

Desire as we've never seen it before: a riveting true story about the sex lives of three real American women, based on nearly a decade of reporting

Hailed as "a dazzling achievement" (Los Angeles Times) and "riveting page-turner that explores desire, heartbreak, and infatuation in all its messy, complicated nuance" (The Washington Post), Lisa Taddeo's Three Women has captivated readers, booksellers, and critics — and topped bestseller lists — worldwide.

In suburban Indiana we meet Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks and, after reconnecting with an old flame through social media, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who allegedly has a clandestine physical relationship with her handsome, married English teacher; the ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the Northeast, we meet Sloane — a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner — who is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.

Based on years of immersive reporting and told with astonishing frankness and immediacy, Three Women is both a feat of journalism and a triumph of storytelling, brimming with nuance and empathy. "A work of deep observation, long conversations, and a kind of journalistic alchemy" (Kate Tuttle, NPR), Three Women introduces us to three unforgettable women — and one remarkable writer — whose experiences remind us that we are not alone.
Review
"What makes Three Women so remarkable and indelible, and also so refreshingly out-of-step with the tenor of the present moment, is Taddeo's refusal to judge these 'characters.' She is not particularly interested in determining who is right, who is wrong, and who is to blame..What most fascinates her is how sexual desire transfigures the entire tissue of a personality and changes the course of lives." Slate
Review
"Intensively reported . . . An immersion course in the rituals and consciousness of individuals expressing their desires . . . You come away disturbed, entertained, jolted, and ultimately longing for a cigarette." Vulture
Review
" [An] instant feminist classic...Utterly engrossing...Game-changing." O, The Oprah Magazine
Review
"This is one of the most riveting, assured, and scorchingly original debuts I've ever read." Dave Eggers
Review
"Extraordinary...A nonfiction literary masterpiece...I can't remember the last time a book affected me as profoundly as Three Women." Elizabeth Gilbert

About the Author
Lisa Taddeo has contributed to New York magazine, Esquire, Elle, Glamour, and many other publications. Her nonfiction has been included in the Best American Sports Writing and Best American Political Writing anthologies, and her short stories have won two Pushcart Prizes. She lives with her husband and daughter in New England. 

Genre/Form: Case studies
Document Type: Book
All Authors / Contributors: Lisa Taddeo

ISBN: 9781451642292 1451642296 9781451642308 145164230X
OCLC Number: 1056736226
Description: x, 306 pages ; 25 cm
Other Titles: 3 women
Responsibility: Lisa Taddeo.