Nine Grudges: The Spiteful Origins of the Happiest Dyke on Earth

On the cusp of her 1993 college graduation in Olympia, Molly McCloy spends her time drunk and high, pulling dykey pranks, and thrashing in mosh pits—anything to avoid the troubled, working-class family she left behind in Arizona. But after a vivid nightmare involving her dad, Molly writes him a letter, asking him to apologize for nine instances of mental, verbal, and physical abuse. She revisits each of these nine grudges before working up enough courage to mail the letter. Then, to her surprise, her dad writes back. 

Advanced Praise

“Nine Grudges grabs hold of you like a best friend ready to divulge terrible, wonderful secrets. Funny, soulful, absolutely unafraid to look life in the eye, Molly McCloy’s tough and tender voice is addictive. An electric debut!”

—Michelle Tea, author of Knocking Myself Up

This Gen X memoir reminds us that love, forgiveness, and a wicked sense of humor can heal any wounds, even grudges lugged around for the better part of a lifetime.

—Jen Sincero, NYT Bestselling Author of the You Are A Badass series

This is more than a memoir; it is a testament to the departure from trauma’s clutches. McCloy shows us the way by magnifying her working-class queerness with brilliant writing.

 —CA Conrad, Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return

Nine Grudges shouldn’t be funny, but it is simultaneously hilarious and chilling. Like Dorothy Allison in Bastard Out of Carolina, McCloy has a powerful voice, a poet’s ear, and amazing recall.

—Ann Cummins, Red Ant House and Yellowcake