'Brilliant and powerful' ELIZABETH GILBERT 'S o full of wisdom and pleasure that you don't
want it to end' MAGGIE NELSON 'Only Melissa Febos could convince us of the ecstasy of
abstinence' KATHERINE MAY A Vogue TIME and Vulture ' most anticipated' book of 2025 In
the wake of a disastrous two-year relationship Melissa Febos decided to take a break - for
three months she would abstain from dating relationships and sex. Her friends were amused. Did
she really think three months was a long time? But to Melissa it was. Ever since her teens
she had been in one relationship or another. It was time to focus on herself and examine the
lifelong patterns that had got her to this point. When those three months ended she decided to
extend her celibate period fearing that she had not yet gained the clarity she was searching
for. She knew she was taking on a challenge but had no idea that this year would become the
most fulfilling and sensual of her life. No longer defined by her romantic pursuits Melissa
learned to relish the delights of solitude the thrill of living on her own terms the
pleasures unmediated by lovers and the freedom to pursue her ideals without distraction or
guilt. She began to see her life and her self-worth in a radical new way. Her year of
divestment transformed her relationships with friends and peers her work creativity - and
most of all her relationship to herself. The Dry Season is a memoir of Melissa's year of
celibacy and a profound exploration of independence sexuality and deep self-knowledge.
