"How could she have known what a girl's laughter does to a boy? If she believed the boardwalk T-shirts, a woman was a ball 0r chain, someone stupid you're with, someone to lie to so a man can drink beer. If she believed television fathers, women were a constant pain, wanting red roses or a nice dinner out. If she learned how to be a girl from songs, it was worse. If she learned from other girls, worse still."
Beautyland by Marie-Helen Bertino









