Chronicling the struggles and successes of five pole dancers, the club owner they work for, and their mothers, this debut novel-in-stories delves into the profound impact of intergenerational trauma on families striving to create meaningful lives.

The Red Barn, a pole dancing venue on the outskirts of Easton, Pennsylvania, is co-owned by Eddie and Victoria. Like the other dancers—GB, who is courageous and nonbinary; Marie, who struggles with depression; Violet, who is manifesting her dream; and Celeste, who grapples with religion and body image—Eddie and Victoria have been shaped by their mothers’ secrets and fears. These mothers suffered from domestic abuse, mental illness, and addiction, yet their only concern was to create a safe, stable home life for their children.

Spanning the 1940s through the 1980s, these fourteen interconnected stories about these mothers and their children explore how intergenerational conflicts are confronted and resolved. Each story features the emotional and embodied journey of one character, and together they form a larger narrative about how individual identity and community intersect in the aftermath of trauma and betrayal.

Ultimately, the Red Barn family realizes that risk-taking is not only possible but necessary, and that obstacles, no matter how heavy, don’t have to bury us. Struggle is part of life, but it doesn’t define us. What matters is trusting our own organic process of becoming who we truly are, at any age.

INSIGHT INTO HEALING INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA: Post-traumatic stress disorder affects millions of adults and adolescents in the US every single year, and research suggests that the trauma that causes PTSD can have a negative ripple effect on future generations; this book explores the ways acknowledging and accepting trauma can help break the cycle and promote healing.

POLE DANCING IS SOARING IN POPULARITY: Pole dancing has become a sought-after form of exercise that builds strength, flexibility, and balance, and studios have spread across the world; there are over 600 studios in the US alone. Anyone who pole dances for work, fitness, or pleasure will be drawn to this story.

HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR CHOSEN FAMILIES: The chosen-family concept has grown in popularity and importance in recent years; nearly half of Brits say they have a chosen family, and approximately one third of US adults have taken time off work to support a chosen family member’s health needs. This novel offers insight into what it means to be part of a chosen family and the ways a chosen family can support and validate its members.

PERFECT FOR BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: A novel comprised of six sets of interconnected stories, each set featuring a mother and her adult child, this book’s unique structure alone presents ample discussion points, but the novel also deals with various other timely themes and issues that will prompt conversation and introspection, including marginalized groups, sexuality, domestic abuse, religion, gender identity, immigrant life, and more.

CONNECTION TO A LOCAL BOOKSTORE THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL AUTHORS: The author lives in Rhinebeck, New York, home of Oblong Books, a beloved independent retailer that hosts about 100 events per year both in-store and at locations around town, most of which feature local authors.

AUTHOR’S PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND OFFERS UNIQUE WISDOM: For over forty years, Susan Katz practiced insight-oriented psychoanalytic psychotherapy in private practice in New York City; she was also a clinical hypnotherapist and was a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor for the state of New York. The knowledge she gleaned from these decades of care has enabled her to write the characters in this book with compassion and authenticity.