cover image Maxie Mainwaring, Lesbian Dilettante

Maxie Mainwaring, Lesbian Dilettante

Monica Nolan. Kensington, $15 trade paperback (288p) ISBN 978-0-7582-8829-5

In this clever and campy send-up of 1960s pulp, Nolan (Bobby Blanchard, Lesbian Gym Teacher) tells the tale of one Maxie Mainwaring, a Bay City (clearly San Francisco) heiress whose wealthy family cuts off her allowance after she’s caught kissing Elaine Ellman in the bathroom at the 1964 Daughters of the American Pioneers Spring Tea. In the ensuing fallout, the feckless heroine—who has never had to support herself, although she has held a part-time job as an assistant to a gossip columnist—is forced to seek employment, first as a recreational aide, then as an assistant at Polish, an upscale magazine. Along the way, Maxie gets caught up in a Scandinavian mob scheme, finds her mother in a compromising position, falls for an attractive butch named Lon, and dodges a murder attempt. Maxie—and Nolan—charm the pants off everyone in this original and engaging romp. (July)