My Name Is Marshall

by Taylor Linloff

What does it mean to love where you're at - especially when "where you're at" feels like staring down a dead end sign?



28 year-old Ainslie McNeil is drowning. She faces an identity and mental health crisis, neither of which are exactly dinner table topics in Brackish Cove, Cape Breton Island.



With cynicism and a hefty dose of sarcasm in tow, Ainslie decides it's time to rewrite her life, hoping there's a version of herself worth saving. However, realization hits as truths are confronted, and all is not what "she" intended, and the discoveries are going to send shockwaves beyond her little Nova Scotian village.



My Name is Marshall is the first novella of emerging writer Taylor Linloff, exploring queer coming-of-age and the admittedly messy beauty of learning to accept the life you never planned.

Genres: Queer

81 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2025

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. It was cozy, and reflective, but also told a story about Ainslie working to find "her" self. The author takes so much care in their writing and acknowledgements throughout. Marshall is so easy to love, even if he struggles to love himself. Ethan is so supportive, loving & caring & I adore him as much as I adore Marshall. These are the kinds of characters that stick with you when you move on to other reads.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lovely and uplifting afternoon read. the author's clever writing paints the perfect picture of a life on the east coast, while offering a hopeful future and idea of what support in rural life can look like. I for one hope everyone has an Ethan in their corner and the desire to hope for a more authentic life like our protagonist. truly remarkable.