Pleasure

Delicate and visceral—just like the pleasure it exalts—this is María Hesse’s most personal book. She recounts her journey toward sexual awakening, a tortuous path filled with guilt, shame, and ignorance, which she overcame thanks to her insatiable curiosity and the wise example of women who explored the mystery and power of sensuality, challenged the prejudices of their time, gave names to the unnamed, and lit the way for others. Real or fictional, these women include Lilith, Mary Magdalene, Sappho, Eve Ensler, Colette, Anaïs Nin, Simone de Beauvoir, Anne Sexton, Mata Hari, Betty Dodson, Marilyn Monroe, Erika Lust, and even Daenerys Targaryen. Thanks to them, Hesse has charted a map of feminine pleasure for us all to explore.