Rubyfruit Jungle
The girls' first book of Series 5 on LGBTQ+ authors is Rita Mae Brown's bestselling "Rubyfruit Jungle". In discussing (arguably) the first lesbian protagonist in popular culture, the girls talk:- The effect of a shining superhero lead character in tackling oppression
- How that makes us feel as gals that love a bit of emotional struggle and nuance
- Interestingly, how Molly's self-belief trips our (super-Irish) "Notions" alarm, and how that's just very uncomfortable
- Plus Chloe Cullen in her best dramatic performance to date!
And we did not go on one tangent!
Okay that was a lie. We did foray into
- How OBSESSED we are with all the people making epoxy resin charms and jewellery on Instagram, we just CANT with you people!!
- Saoirse's unwavering dedication to PopSugar fitness videos. And the fact that she does them with no shoes on. Which we insist is weird. It IS weird, right?!
- And of course, finally, Katie's crazy forehead-vein. We don't know how it took so long to bring it up to be honest
Catch the full episode
More on Rubyfruit Jungle:
A landmark coming-of-age novel that launched the career of one of this country’s most distinctive voices, Rubyfruit Jungle remains a transformative work more than forty years after its original publication. In bawdy, moving prose, Rita Mae Brown tells the story of Molly Bolt, the adoptive daughter of a dirt-poor Southern couple who boldly forges her own path in America. With her startling beauty and crackling wit, Molly finds that women are drawn to her wherever she goes—and she refuses to apologize for loving them back. This literary milestone continues to resonate with its message about being true to yourself and, against the odds, living happily ever after.
More on Rita Mae Brown:
Rita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
To find out more on Rita Mae Brown, visit