Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home

Summary

In a series of genre-blending essays read by the author, Entwined tells the story of Alex Alberto’s decade-long polyamorous journey toward a new kind of family.

In these essays, Alex attempts to build two committed relationships at once when no one involved has done this before; develops a powerful bond with the woman their partner loves; sits through a tense Thanksgiving Dinner with religious in-laws; questions the need for rules and hierarchy in their relationships; experiences the intensity of a triad; wrestles with the fragility baked into the nuclear family after their father’s stroke; and explores their queerness and gender identity in English, in New York, and struggles to reconcile their newfound self in their native French-Canadian language and culture.

Entwined explores the fuzzy lines between friendship, romance, and family with various essay forms, including a play, an advice column, and a love letter. Yes, there are challenges, but rather than wallowing in the throes of jealousy, this memoir celebrates the hard work of creating a love life that resists conventional narratives.

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WHAT EARLY READERS SAY ABOUT ENTWINED:

"Entwined is a goddamn bible for poly-curious people."

—Chloe Caldwell (she/her), 37, questioning

"Entwined is about the desire to create a life outside of capitalism, heteronormativity, and the patriarchy."

—Samantha Paige Rosen (she/her), 33, queer and monogamous

"Entwined had me captivated from start to finish. It will no doubt influence my approach to romance and family."

—Rio C. (she/her), 21, queer, trans, and curious about polyamory

"I laughed, cried, and felt my heart fill the fuck up."

— Dan D. (they), 36, queer and newly navigating non-monogamy within a lifelong partnership.