Debbie Bateman

Eating too much, eating not enough, having sex, not having sex, aging parents, grief, drugs, childhood trauma, and the last call of ovaries--a woman's body at mid-life can get messy. Debbie Bateman's stories take a clear-eyed look at the largely unexplored private world of a pivotal stage in virtually every woman's life. These stories are linked not only by the characters, but also by the visceral themes of food, sex, exercise, beauty, and aging. The secret clenching of a fist, the unwinding of a silk scarf, the proud refusal to have breast reconstruction, the women in these stories want full authority over their bodies and their lives. "The kind of writer who can make you laugh out loud, grit your teeth in anger and struggle not to shed tears, all in the same story."--Caroline Woodward, BC BookWorld "A wonderful, fierce, and above all intelligent collection that grows in power with each succeeding story."--Sharon Butala, author of Season of Fury and Wonder "A hopeful and empathetic read, you'll find yourself cheering for each woman you meet."--Stella Harvey, author of Finding Callidora "Debbie Bateman offers sharp sparks of dark humour, casually sinister moments in something as innocuous as a yoga class, and endings that veer from the expected in startling but utterly satisfying ways. Whether exploring menopause, anorexia, addiction, or a relationship to an increasingly senile mother, these stories are so deeply rooted in the body that they can't help but get under your skin. A formidable debut."--Barbara Joan Scott, author of The Taste of Hunger "YOUR BODY WAS MADE FOR THIS shines a light on an under-seen women navigating middle age. Bateman's stories honour these women with honesty, compassion, and hope, through characters who challenge the status quo, follow their desires, make mistakes, get back on their feet, and carry on."--Julie Paul, author of Meteorites Fiction. Women's Studies.