My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

Who it's for

Nagata describes, with blunt honesty and pink-tinted art, her years after dropping out of college: depression, loneliness, disordered eating, part-time jobs, and a deep need for her parents' approval.

Feelings it meets

• Loneliness
• Self-Worth
• Shame
• Depression

What it is

An autobiographical manga by Kabi Nagata, published in Japanese in 2016 and in English by Seven Seas Entertainment in 2017. Nagata recounts her struggles with mental health, loneliness, her relationship with her family and her sexual self-discovery, centred on her decision to visit a female sex worker. The book frames that experience within broader reflection on identity and self-acceptance.

Where to find it

In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) from Seven Seas; also as an ebook. Still in copyright.

Before you start

Heads up: Self-harm and disordered eating.

Age: Adult (18+)

I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.Henry David Thoreau, Walden, “Solitude”