For those not in the know, Stéphane Deschênes takes my vote for naturist president (if such a thing existed). Soft-spoken, erudite, and with a French Canadian accent pronouncing episode more like ebisode, Stéphane is the first person who comes to my mind to represent the clothes-free lifestyle. For Stéphane, ethical naturism, as he calls it, is more than just getting naked, but a philosophy centered on respect for others, oneself, and the environment. In a world where nudism/naturism can mean different things to different people and where the term ‘nudist’ often gets hijacked by those trying to redefine it into some kink (one of my followers is named Penis, go figure), listening to Stéphane espouse true naturist values can be terribly encouraging. On his podcast, The Naturist Living Show, a nudie newbie learns what nudism/naturism truly means. It’s the best damn podcast on the subject all around, which is why, after years of pestering him on Twitter and Facebook, I was over the moon when he agreed to feature my book, The Feral Girl. We also talk about nudity in fiction and film and how the media landscape has changed over the decades when it comes to depicting the human body. However, Stéphane did give me fair warning that his review would remain objective and that he would not be giving me a pass just because we share the same beliefs. I told him that, of course, I prefer honesty but that I was confident The Feral Girl would impress him and his anonymous book critic (it did/you can see below).
So without further ado, here’s the link to The Naturist Living Show and our discussion below:
The Naturist Living Show — The Feral Girl
The Feral Girl Book Review
The third book in author Nick Alimonos’ “Books of Aenya” series, The Feral Girl, is a standalone prequel offering a coming-of-age backstory for Thelana, a pivotal character in the series. Fear not, however. The reader unfamiliar with the other works in the Aenya series will not find themselves at a loss for background information or context: The Feral Girl does not bank on the reader already holding a deep understanding of story or character details gleaned through the other books and is a perfectly fine place to start the “Books of Aenya” series. The intimate storyline, manageable cast of characters, and gradual world-building all work to provide a welcoming point of entry into this expansive world that tickles at the edges of both fantasy and science fiction, yet coyly commits to neither. This is a story of survival, adventure, and perseverance, with overarching messages surrounding environmental collapse, societal dysfunction, and human nature.
At the start of the novel, our heroine, Thelana, is forced to leave her family home and the once-plentiful land of her people due to a prolonged and worsening period of scarcity. Her people, the Ilmar, live harmoniously with nature, with a deeply ingrained cultural appreciation for the natural world and how to both survive off of it and care for it, and it is this experience that has uniquely prepared her for her journey. What she is less prepared for, however, is a sprawling landscape of inhospitable climes, monstrous beasts, and, perhaps worst of all, confrontations with the “civilized” world—the one that ravages the earth for resources, that treats others with disrespect, and that views Thelana and her nakedness as shameful and inhuman. Throughout this journey, we are frequently invited into glimpses of Thelana’s childhood as she mines her memories for the strength to persevere. These moments provide valuable insights into her principles and motivations, into what has prepared her for this journey, and into the relationships she has with her family and community.
This adventure is not purely one of strife and survival, however, but is intertwined with lessons about our own world and our own struggles. As Thelana describes the ravaged landscapes she traverses, the abandoned cities, and the scorched earth, we cannot help but see our own world reflected back at us. When she describes the greed and avarice that led to these conditions, it is difficult to not see the error in our own relationship to one another and to our planet. When she marvels at how her fully-clothed or fully-armored acquaintances hold such negative and backward views about bodies, we, as readers, again cannot help but recognize the state of our own society and its phobia of the human body. None of these lessons feel heavy-handed, however, but they contribute to Thelana’s blossoming understanding of the larger world and the reconciliation of her cultural values with what she needs to do to survive in a world where clothing and armor are the rule and not the exception, where the people live in cities, disconnected from the natural world yet keen on dominating it, and where exploitation and war reign supreme.
The Feral Girl does not purport to be a naturist novel, if such a thing exists. The naturist reader, however, will undoubtedly be drawn to Thelana’s plight, not because Thelana spends the majority of the novel nude and not because the story itself aligns with a naturist worldview. In Thelana’s world, there is no such concept as naturism or nudism as we know them, but her upbringing within a corner of her world where people live in harmony with nature and where clothing is neither necessary nor culturally relevant means that, in her journey, she experiences the world through an untainted and naturally inquisitive lens. The naturist reader will recognize Thelana’s astonishment at the ways of the clothed world from their philosophy but probably not from their own lived experience and is likely to relish the opportunity to view the world afresh, stripped of the burden of taking for granted the trappings and tolls of modern society.
For the reader who already enjoys a coming-of-age story, tales of survival, hints of fantasy, and a sprinkle of science fiction, or who is curious about this combination of themes, I cannot recommend this book—or this series of books—enough. The writing is strong, smart, and expansive without ever feeling inaccessible or overly complex, incorporating gripping emotional struggles and fast-paced pursuits with equal care and success. For the naturist reader, finding these qualities in a story that also validates—or at least aligns with—naturist philosophy makes The Feral Girl worth the read.
Being and Nakedness 