The Only Way Through Is Out is available!
I wrote The Only Way Through Is Out forĀ every human who is longing to live out loudāincludingĀ LGBTQ+ folx crushed by oppressive religious institutions; women at midlife who have deferred their own dreams; empty nesters who have stayed in unhappy marriages āfor the kidsāāevery person who longs to live more authentically but is afraid of the cost.
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About the memoir
Suzette Mullen had been raised to play it safeāand she hated causing others pain. With college and law degrees, a kind and successful husband, two thriving adult sons, and an ocean-view vacation home, she lived a life many people would envy. But beneath the happy facade was a woman who watched her friends walk boldly through their lives and wondered what was holding her back from doing the same.
Digging into her past, Suzette uncovered a deeply buried truth: sheād been in love with her best friendāa womanāfor nearly two decadesāand still was.
Leaning into these āunspeakableā feelings would put Suzetteās identity, relationships, and life of privilege at riskābut taking this leap might be her only chance to feel fully alive. As Suzette opened herself up to new possibilities, an unexpected visit to a new city helped her discover who she was meant to be.
Introspective, bittersweet, and empowering, The Only Way Through Is Out is both a coming-out and coming-of-age story, as well as a call to action for every human who is longing to live authentically but is afraid of the cost.
PublishedĀ by the University of Wisconsin Press
Advanced Praise
What people are saying aboutĀ The Only Way Through Is Out:
āWith candor and deep vulnerability, Mullen offers a compelling, honest, and hopeful memoir that examines the hidden truths involved in accepting our deepest wants and desires. The Only Way Through Is Out is a lesson to all of us on what great things can happen when we act with authenticity.ā
āJessi Hempel, author of The Family Outing
āI could not put this book down. Mullen shows us the search for oneās authentic self has no expiration date and is worth whatever it takes. This book is a glorious tale of tenacious courage that anyone searching for their own path in life will love.ā
āJennifer Louden, national bestselling author of Why Bother? Discover the Desire for Whatās NextĀ
āA memoir of discovering oneās sexuality and finding the courage to act, the book has a strong positive message for the many people who come out later in lifeāthe late bloomers, as they are known in the queer community. Such stories are important, and this one is told well and fun to read.ā
āLori Soderlind, author of The Change
āAn affecting coming-into-consciousness narrative that burrows into the urgencies of queer awakening and carries its reader through the agonies and ecstasies of living oneās truth. Suzette Mullen masterfully conjures the battling inner voices that prolong the reconciliation of her Christian beliefs with the urgings of her body and heart. A touching, visceral story that celebrates giving into queer joy, no matter how long it takes.ā
āAlden Jones, author of The Wanting Was a Wilderness
āIn The Only Way Through Is Out, Suzette Mullen reveals how she unearthed her true sexual identity from beneath a mountain of cultural, familial, and internalized heteronormativity. Swimming upstream, she emerges in midlife as the heroine of her own story, and as inspiration to any reader struggling to express their most authentic self.ā
āRobin Rinaldi, author of The Wild Oats Project: One Womanās Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost
āIn this courageous memoir, the reader feels keenly both the writerās anguish and her emerging strength as she chooses between a safe, comfortable path and a leap into the unknown. With raw honesty, Mullen is willing to make herself vulnerable on almost every page of this story of poignant loss and sustaining gain, as she stills the external voices in her world and listens to her own truth.ā
āMary Alice Hostetter, author of Plain: A Memoir of Mennonite Girlhood
āAn honest and insightful delve into coming out later in life, The Only Way Through Is Out is filled with tears, laughter, and, above all, hope.ā
āLara Lillibridge, author of Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home
