Woodworking

Woodworking

Emily St. James

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An unforgettable and heartwarming book-club debut following a trans high school teacher from a small town in South Dakota who befriends the only other trans woman she knows: one of her students.Erica Skyberg is thirty-five years old, recently divorced—and trans. Not that she's told anyone yet. Mitchell, South Dakota, isn't exactly bursting with other trans women. Instead, she keeps to herself, teaching by day and directing community theater by night. That is, until Abigail Hawkes enters her orbit. Abigail is seventeen, Mitchell High’s resident political dissident and Only Trans Girl. It’s a role she plays faultlessly, albeit a little reluctantly. She's also annoyed by the idea of spending her senior year secretly guiding her English teacher through her transition. But Abigail remembers the uncertainty—and loneliness—that comes with it. Besides, Erica isn’t the only one struggling to shed the weight of others’ expectations. As their unlikely friendship evolves under the increasing scrutiny of their community, both women—and those closest to them—will come to realize that sometimes there is nothing more radical than letting the world see who you really are. Detransition Baby meets Fleishman is in Trouble in this remarkable debut novel from an incisive contemporary voice. A story about the awkwardness of growing up and the greatest love story of all, that between us and our friends, Woodworking is a tonic for the moment and a celebration of womanhood in all its multifaceted joy.

Publication Year: 2025


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  • sarahjeanromance
    Apr 18, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:
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  • bigbookbaby
    May 13, 2025
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    This book jumped to the top of my TBR as soon as it came out, and I’m so glad it did. I cried reading the book jacket, and the feelings roller coaster did not let up until the very last page. 

    Set in 2016, this multi-POV story follows a group of women in Mitchell, South Dakota. Erica is a 35 year old, recently divorced high school teacher. She’s known she’s trans since 2008, but as the book begins, she has yet to tell anyone. When Abigail, 17 year old student and the only trans person she knows, gets in trouble for calling her classmates “fascist cunts,” Erica offers to cover her colleague’s detention periods while gathering the courage to confide in Abigail. The unlikely relationship that blossoms between them will tear at all your heart strings and make it extremely difficult to pull yourself away for previously scheduled plans. 

    I absolutely loved this queer literary fiction. I loved the main characters in all of their perfectly imperfect messy glory. I loved the intergenerational trans friendships, the stories of finding safe people & building safe spaces. There’s even some good old fashioned lesbian yearning. Several times while reading, I thought to myself: “Wow, this is why I love books!” I cannot recommend Woodworking enough ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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