Coming-of-age memoirs work best when the author is unafraid to dig deep into the context of their childhood, as well as the actual events. In her debut memoir, Rust Belt Femme, Raechel Anne Jolie gets it: On the surface, Femme is an exploration of trauma, queer identity and determination in the life of a Midwest kid trapped in a cycle of poverty and tragedy. But Jolie also stages this achingly personal story against the backdrop of the 1990s and early 2000s, with punk, emo and indie music playing as much of a role in her young life as the working-class environs that she rebelled against - and that she eventually came to grips with.-- Jason Heller, NPR Book Concierge's Best Books of 2020 Jolie's voice is at once funny and heart-wrenching, putting every reader who wanted to be part of a scene back into their adolescent shoes.--Alicia Kennedy, Tenderly Quite possibly the first book that's ever made me well up with tears within the first few pages....[Jolie's] story is both remarkable and utterly ordinary; any dreamy kid who grew up broke and weird will see a spark of themselves in this book, which is also why it's so important.--Kim Kelly, The New Republic A sharp coming-of-age portrait. -- Kirkus Reviews Stirring and empathetic [...] It is like listening to a mix tape you love on repeat: I couldn't get enough.--Courtney Brown, Ohioana Quarterly