Lindy West’s marriage was broken. Did polyamory fix it? Lindy West’s memoir, Adult Braces, chronicles her journey through a polyamorous relationship and the emotional turmoil of her marriage to Ahamefule J. Oluo. The book, released this week, blends a solo road trip across the U.S. with a deep exploration of her personal life, offering a raw and unfiltered look at her struggles with love, identity, and self-acceptance. West, known for her incisive critiques of society and her role as a prominent voice in feminist discourse, now turns her lens inward, confronting the complexities of her own relationships and the fallout from her husband’s desire for polyamory. The memoir opens with West’s physical isolation, describing the remote location of her home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where she and her dog, Barry, reside. Her journey begins as a travelogue, with her driving from the Pacific Northwest toward Florida in search of the fictional town of Kokomo, a symbol of her longing for escape and clarity. Along the way, she grapples with her marriage, which had already faced strain due to Oluo’s growing interest in polyamory. The book’s structure—short, introspective chapters—mirrors her fragmented emotional state, as she moves from initial hostility toward discussing her marriage to a tentative acceptance of her own needs. West’s narrative is deeply personal, yet it also reflects broader societal disillusionment. She ties her marital struggles to a collective sense of frustration with America’s promises, questioning whether the pursuit of happiness and stability can ever truly deliver. The memoir demands empathy from readers, asking them to reconcile their own judgments with the raw vulnerability of someone who has been hurt.#adult_braces #ahamefule_j_oluo #bainbridge_island #barry #shrill
