The Shame Is Over

For fans of Tove Ditlevsen, Alba De Cespedes and Ann Scott, The Shame Is Over is a cult classic of feminist literature, first published fifty years ago.

The story begins with Anja’s early life: a troubled shotgun marriage to Toni, an Austrian man with whom she has a son, Armin. At nineteen, seeking freedom from abuse and rejecting traditional domestic roles, she leaves her marriage and forges her own path. The decade that follows is shaped by the sexual liberation of the 1970s, a series of complex relationships, and an ever-deepening commitment to feminist and political causes. As her emotional and political consciousness expands, Meulenbelt finds both purpose and community in activism – and begins to redefine what it means to live as an autonomous woman.

The Shame Is Over blends a raw account of Meulenbelt’s evolution as a mother, lover and political thinker with an incisive portrayal of the struggles women face in their pursuit of autonomy and equality. Meulenbelt doesn’t shy away from the internal tensions of the feminist movement – its contradictions, divisions, and emotional costs. In a haunting final passage, she imagines a dialogue with her younger, insecure self, offering a powerful metaphor for the liberation she seeks not only for herself, but for all women.