Punishment: A Love Story

by Eve Tushnet

A lesbian parolee re-integrates into life in DC in a dark comedy about the dangers and delights of humiliation. Desiree Schulman is home from federal prison—almost. When Des returns to Washington, DC under "conditional release," she wants three to repair her relationships, to practice humility, and to stay out of prison. So she reconnects with her local sadomasochists' group, and pursues an elusive ex. She takes a state-mandated job cleaning (and judging) other people's houses, flings a few prayers at whatever Higher Power might be listening, and spends her group therapy trying to justify her happy childhood to the women of her halfway house. But Des's downwardly-mobile skid through the gentrifying city is more dangerous than she realizes. Behind a high fence in wealthy Upper Northwest, a cult is preying on vulnerable women. And when Des discovers their secret, she'll have to find out whether she's willing to risk her own freedom for somebody else's. Set in the shadow of the 2016 elections, Punishment is a story about all the ways we the ridiculous ways and the sublime ways and the sad sordid ways; the ways which damage us and the ways which may, if we're lucky, heal us.

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2019

About the author

Eve Tushnet is a writer in Washington, DC. She has written for publications including the Atlantic, Commonweal, The American Conservative, the New York Post, and the online editions of the New York Times and Washington Post. She mostly covers the arts, from forgotten punk films to the US National Figure Skating Championships. She has published fiction in Dappled Things, Doublethink, and Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

was happy to discover PUNISHMENT is v similar to the author's previous work of fiction (AMENDS) in tone, which is often droll, but with an earnest heart. this work however focuses more on the sexual nature of the various personality defects which the author's trademark miserable characters must confront. they are often described by themselves and others in the language of "identity" which is certainly in vogue today so it reads true to life. that said, i was disappointed. it felt like reading only the miserable halfway house parts of INFINITE JEST - with half the story being left out. seemed more than a bit prurient in parts. is this to convince a secular audience the author "did the reading" perhaps? its purpose seems to demonstrate how addictive sexual behaviors are - which makes for a dark irony in the context of the recovering drug addicts who are also desperately pursuing activities ordered to various sexual "identities."

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird but good

Whenever I tried to quote a passage to my husband I had to preface the statement with, "This isn't porn, I swear."

The author has a lot of thoughts on submissiveness - to a system, to religion, to the world, to another person. The ending wrapped everything up nicely, even if there's no justice in the world.

[Jendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Tushnet's tragicomic, soulful novel about the residents of a Washington, DC halfway house is a brilliant exploration of the blurred line between fruitful humility and self-destruction. Her witticisms are worthy of Oscar Wilde. This was the first novel I finished in 2020 and nothing has yet come up to its standard.

[Matthew Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hilarious offering from Tushnet!