Coming
Woodworking by Emily St. James
LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE 2025
“Writing a funny book is hard. Writing a convincing takedown of one of America’s most popular prejudices is harder still. Writing a funny novel in which complex, imperfect characters make a compelling case for one of our culture’s most maligned groups—that takes smarts and heart. Fortunately for her readers, St. James is in full possession of both.” —Meredith Maran, Washington Post
One of Vox's Best Books of the Year • One of Book Riot’s and The Mary Sue’s 15 Most Anticipated Queer Books of 2025 • One of The Millions’, Kirkus’s, The AV Club’s, Them’s, LGBTQ Reads and NBC's Most Anticipated Books of 2025 • One of Vol. 1 Brooklyn’s, Autostraddle’s, LA Times’s, and BookBrowse’s Most Anticipated Reads of March 2025 • One of Bustle’s Best Books of Spring 2025 • Matty Maggiacomo’s March Book Club Pick
An unforgettable and heartwarming book-club debut following a trans high school teacher from a small town in South Dakota who befriends the only other trans woman she knows: one of her students.
- Sale Date
- ISBN
- 9781638934172
- Page Count
- 368
- Language
- English
- Imprint
- Crooked Media Reads
Meet the Author
Emily St. JamesNamed A Best Book of 2025 by Vox, Elle, NPR, Bustle, Marie Claire, Chicago Review of Books, Chicago Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Them, Xtra, and Autostraddle • Matty Maggiacomo’s March Book Club Pick
“Writing a funny book is hard. Writing a convincing takedown of one of America’s most popular prejudices is harder still. Writing a funny novel in which complex, imperfect characters make a compelling case for one of our culture’s most maligned groups—that takes smarts and heart. Fortunately for her readers, St. James is in full possession of both.” —Meredith Maran, Washington Post
An unforgettable and heartwarming book-club debut following a trans high school teacher from a small town in South Dakota who befriends the only other trans woman she knows: one of her students.
Erica Skyberg is thirty-five years old, recently divorced—and trans. Not that she's told anyone yet. Mitchell, South Dakota, isn't exactly bursting with other trans women. Instead, she keeps to herself, teaching by day and directing community theater by night. That is, until Abigail Hawkes enters her orbit.
Abigail is seventeen, Mitchell High’s resident political dissident and Only Trans Girl. It’s a role she plays faultlessly, albeit a little reluctantly. She's also annoyed by the idea of spending her senior year secretly guiding her English teacher through her transition. But Abigail remembers the uncertainty—and loneliness—that comes with it. Besides, Erica isn’t the only one struggling to shed the weight of others’ expectations.
As their unlikely friendship evolves, it comes under the scrutiny of their community. And soon, both women—and those closest to them—are forced to ask: Who are we if we choose to hide ourselves? What happens once we disappear into the woodwork?
Detransition Baby meets Fleishman is in Trouble in this remarkable debut novel from an incisive contemporary voice. A story about the awkwardness of growing up and the greatest love story of all, that between us and our friends, Woodworking is a tonic for the moment and a celebration of womanhood in all its multifaceted joy.
“A testament to the power of intergenerational trans stories . . . dazzling.” —VOGUE
“Big-hearted and hilarious, an ode to authenticity and a must-read in our current times.” —Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
Praise for Woodworking
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“A charming, sparkling, and very human novel that packs a heavy punch . . . This book is a hoot and a ride.”
Vox (A Best Book of the Year) -
“Writing a funny book is hard. Writing a convincing takedown of one of America’s most popular prejudices is harder still. Writing a funny novel in which complex, imperfect characters make a compelling case for one of our culture’s most maligned groups—that takes smarts and heart. Fortunately for her readers, St. James is in full possession of both.”
Meredith Maran, Washington Post -
“I flew through Woodworking, cheering for Abigail and Erica and their against-the-odds friendship all the way. Only Emily St. James could write a book so big-hearted and hilarious, an ode to authenticity and a must-read in our current times.”
Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
About the Imprint
Get informed, get inspired, even get a laugh. From bestselling issue-driven fiction to political explorations from progressive favorites—these books spark the debates and offer the solutions we need now.
