'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 TIME 'must-read' book of 2025 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.
