The History of My Sexuality - by Tobi Lakmaker (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A sensation in Europe on publication: an effervescent account of life as a twenty-something in Amsterdam that charts the freedoms and complications of coming out and going it alone.

Meet Sofie. The history of her sexuality begins when she loses her virginity to Walter the recruitment consultant. Naturally, she thinks that things can only improve from there. But she's wrong.

It seems Sofie's been wrong about a lot of things. First, she thought she was into men: wrong. Then, she met Frida and thought she was set for life: wrong again. Turns out, figuring out who you are, and who you like, requires a lot of trial and error. Will Sofie ever be able to untangle the impossible knot of sex, love, loneliness, family relationships and grief that constitutes a life? Does it even matter?

The History of My Sexuality is a frank, funny, exuberant journey through the highs and lows of your 20s, and a story of making peace with getting it wrong again and again...

Review Quotes

"Funny and affecting... In an era that demands people trade in absolutes - affirm exactly who they are, what they feel and believe, while shoring up the boundaries of what a person can be - the phrase "less girl, more boy" is fitting for a novel that depicts life as a process of change, questioning and discovery; and by doing so, touches on something closer to the truth" --Guardian

"Funny, joyous and wholly irreverent... a breath of fresh air... it is incredibly moving to follow Sofie's journey to the place it's possible to become "less of a girl and more of a boy" --Irish Times

"Instantly engaging... Lakmaker's version of millennial coming-of-age romance stands apart for its unmatched ability simply to keep the wisecracks coming... No subject is out of bounds for the book's enjoyably zinger-packed candour... It's winningly upfront... You suspect there's a lot more to come from Lakmaker - and I can't wait" --Daily Mail

"Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud but this had the honor of doing so. Tobi's writing style hits the sweet spot between comedy and brutality and for me, that's a spot where beautiful stories are told. It's not just a frothy coming-of-age tale, it's a rumination on what it means to lose and find oneself, what loneliness feels like and why we need to talk about it" --Debut Digest

"Sharp and beguiling... Tobi Lakmaker explores ideas of gender and sexuality with a frank and clear-eyed gaze... The seemingly chaotic and distracted narrative structure thus captures the relationship between gender and sexuality with subtle precision" --The Skinny

"A fiery story... Unrelenting and funny" --NRC Handelsblaad

"Already a hit in Europe, this coming-of-age debut heralds a charismatic new voice... sharp, funny and deliciously forthright" --Bookseller

"An important literary announcement: here is Tobi Lakmaker. And he's here to stay." --De Standaard

About the Author

Tobi Lakmaker was born in 1994 and lives in Amsterdam. He writes columns for De Groene Amsterdammer and LINDA.meiden. The History of My Sexuality is his first book.

Kristen Gehrman has translated the work of Dola de Jong and Lize Spit, among others.