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Sunbathing in Siberia
Miranda loves Jay so much that she forgives her almost anything and even agrees to be described to the family as Jay's roommate. But when she tries to push Jay to be more truthful, she is rewarded with an angry beating that shocks her to the core. The two attempt to repair their relationship but eventually Miranda comes to see that hoping for genuine love from Jay is about as sensible as sunbathing in Siberia.With humor and sensitivity, this compelling first novel shows the harm that life in the closet does to lesbian couples-and the damage we can all do to ourselves by staying in the wrong relationship. Elizabeth Lewis lives in Glasgow, Scotland, where she is studying English Literature.
- GenresFiction
270 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2003
6 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Lewis
65 books1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2022
3.5 ⭐ = Quite Good.
Rather a sad story, and one that highlighted two issues - that of domestic abuse and the other - being unable to 'come out' to parents. Instead , living a lie to nearest and dearest.
There was strength AND weakness in this storyline and right up until the end, I was unsure which turn the plot would take. An easy read, with minimal character descriptions. Choosing instead to dive straight into the heart of the book.
Rather a sad story, and one that highlighted two issues - that of domestic abuse and the other - being unable to 'come out' to parents. Instead , living a lie to nearest and dearest.
There was strength AND weakness in this storyline and right up until the end, I was unsure which turn the plot would take. An easy read, with minimal character descriptions. Choosing instead to dive straight into the heart of the book.
November 18, 2025
Important themes, zero depth. Like sunbathing in Siberia, actually.
This book made me weirdly furious, because the themes are incredibly important… and the execution feels like it was written on a sugar high by a very determined seven-year-old.
Sunbathing in Siberia tackles relationship abuse and the fear of coming out as LGBTQ+. These are two topics of such intense emotional depth. Except the book treats those oceans like puddles and just skips over them in little rain boots. The topic has depth,the book very much does not.
Take the LGBTQ+ storyline. The entire argument about coming out is basically:
Miranda: “I want her to tell her parents because it’s FAIR and it makes me feel LOVED.”
Okay, queen of moral philosophy, but where are literally any other perspectives?
There’s no nuance. No cultural or emotional context. No real fear, shame, family dynamics, risk.
Just one conversation with a friend that reads like:
“LGBTQ+ = rights good”
Great message, but that’s the level of insight I had when I was 10 and discovered what the acronym meant.
And the physical abuse storyline? Oh boy.
This topic could have been devastatingly impactful if written with actual psychological depth. Instead, we get: “She beats the hell out of me but it’s okay because right after we had sex. Xoxo.”
Excuse me??? There’s no emotional fallout. No trauma response. No internal conflict. Just: Violence → sex → next chapter.
It’s giving plot point, not life experience.
And the writing style… The “humor” feels like the author desperately poking you saying “am I funny yet???” The narration is stiff. The poetic moments feel like a teenager trying to be deep after watching one Lana Del Rey music video.
And then there’s the formatting. Sometimes she writes likethiswithoutspacesbecausewhynot, and I’m just sitting here like: ma’am please press the space bar, I ain’t here for deciphering hieroglyphs.
Also: why does this book have SO MANY CHAPTERS??
For what reason?? There is not enough content here to justify that many chapter breaks. It feels like the book is trying to disguise its lack of substance by slicing itself into 482 tiny pieces.
There was one interesting thread:
Jay, who comes from a “good” family, being the abusive one, and Miranda, from a neglected family, being empathetic. But even that potentially powerful contrast never gets explored. It’s like the author pointed at it and went “look! symbolism!” and then forgot about it.
And the title?? Sunbathing in Siberia?? Yes, okay, I understand the metaphor: doing something stupid in the wrong place, but it feels like the literary equivalent of naming your book Deep Thoughts #47 and hoping people assume it’s profound.
In the end, it’s a one-star read for me. The themes deserved depth, nuance, complexity not quirky formatting, surface-level commentary, and vibes that scream, “I wrote a book because I wanted to say I wrote a book.”
This story could have been powerful.
Instead, it’s sunburn without sunlight.
This book made me weirdly furious, because the themes are incredibly important… and the execution feels like it was written on a sugar high by a very determined seven-year-old.
Sunbathing in Siberia tackles relationship abuse and the fear of coming out as LGBTQ+. These are two topics of such intense emotional depth. Except the book treats those oceans like puddles and just skips over them in little rain boots. The topic has depth,the book very much does not.
Take the LGBTQ+ storyline. The entire argument about coming out is basically:
Miranda: “I want her to tell her parents because it’s FAIR and it makes me feel LOVED.”
Okay, queen of moral philosophy, but where are literally any other perspectives?
There’s no nuance. No cultural or emotional context. No real fear, shame, family dynamics, risk.
Just one conversation with a friend that reads like:
“LGBTQ+ = rights good”
Great message, but that’s the level of insight I had when I was 10 and discovered what the acronym meant.
And the physical abuse storyline? Oh boy.
This topic could have been devastatingly impactful if written with actual psychological depth. Instead, we get: “She beats the hell out of me but it’s okay because right after we had sex. Xoxo.”
Excuse me??? There’s no emotional fallout. No trauma response. No internal conflict. Just: Violence → sex → next chapter.
It’s giving plot point, not life experience.
And the writing style… The “humor” feels like the author desperately poking you saying “am I funny yet???” The narration is stiff. The poetic moments feel like a teenager trying to be deep after watching one Lana Del Rey music video.
And then there’s the formatting. Sometimes she writes likethiswithoutspacesbecausewhynot, and I’m just sitting here like: ma’am please press the space bar, I ain’t here for deciphering hieroglyphs.
Also: why does this book have SO MANY CHAPTERS??
For what reason?? There is not enough content here to justify that many chapter breaks. It feels like the book is trying to disguise its lack of substance by slicing itself into 482 tiny pieces.
There was one interesting thread:
Jay, who comes from a “good” family, being the abusive one, and Miranda, from a neglected family, being empathetic. But even that potentially powerful contrast never gets explored. It’s like the author pointed at it and went “look! symbolism!” and then forgot about it.
And the title?? Sunbathing in Siberia?? Yes, okay, I understand the metaphor: doing something stupid in the wrong place, but it feels like the literary equivalent of naming your book Deep Thoughts #47 and hoping people assume it’s profound.
In the end, it’s a one-star read for me. The themes deserved depth, nuance, complexity not quirky formatting, surface-level commentary, and vibes that scream, “I wrote a book because I wanted to say I wrote a book.”
This story could have been powerful.
Instead, it’s sunburn without sunlight.
March 15, 2008
A heartbreaking novel about a woman whose lesbian partner refuses to come out to her parents. It's well written, but I didn't end up feeling like I could really recommend it, because it was pretty much one long nightmare.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews