Cybill Berenson, mother of three, newly divorced at age 42, is sure the most passionate years of her life are behind her. Then she meets Mel, a sexual shaman who takes her to new heights—and new depths. After their liaison ends, she feels a new openness to pleasure, and she sees that the conventional life is not for her. She falls in love with Quinn, a much younger man; she travels to the Burning Man festival on her own; she edits a book called Adultery Now (which outrages her children);she takes lovers while in her fifties and sixties. Cybill never stops seeking the thrill of deep connection to another human being. When a lover calls her his soul-mate, Cybill realizes “it was for moments like this, and not sex, that she had love affairs.” But what exactly is an affair? She sends an email to a poet she last saw 50 years earlier, and although they never meet in person, she feels a response as intense as any she has ever known. At the start of the pandemic, Cybill, now 72, begins a new kind of affair.
John Updike described Hiller’s story collection, Skin, as “Good, brave and joyful fiction.” It might also be said that Cybill Unbound is Fear of Flying for those over 40. Cybill's search for passionate fulfillment propels this bold and funny book. Like Erica Jong, Hiller is not afraid to break taboos, and she writes about desire and fulfillment with a fine precision.“Uh-oh! Cybill’s witty rationalizations for her bold adventures are seeming all too rational to me.” —Kathleen Rockwell Lawrence, author of The Last Room in Manhattan
“Readers might not expect the wry undertone of humor that accompanies Cybill's explorations, but this is just one of the facets that make the story compelling and recognizable as she spreads her sexual wings and flies into uncharted territory. . . Readers (especially women) who enjoy candid stories of risk, transformation, exploration, and social inspection will find Cybill Unbound fun, intriguing, titillating, and thought-provoking.” —D. Donovan, Senior Book Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
John Updike described Hiller’s story collection, Skin, as “Good, brave and joyful fiction.” It might also be said that Cybill Unbound is Fear of Flying for those over 40. Cybill's search for passionate fulfillment propels this bold and funny book. Like Erica Jong, Hiller is not afraid to break taboos, and she writes about desire and fulfillment with a fine precision.“Uh-oh! Cybill’s witty rationalizations for her bold adventures are seeming all too rational to me.” —Kathleen Rockwell Lawrence, author of The Last Room in Manhattan
“Readers might not expect the wry undertone of humor that accompanies Cybill's explorations, but this is just one of the facets that make the story compelling and recognizable as she spreads her sexual wings and flies into uncharted territory. . . Readers (especially women) who enjoy candid stories of risk, transformation, exploration, and social inspection will find Cybill Unbound fun, intriguing, titillating, and thought-provoking.” —D. Donovan, Senior Book Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Used availability for Catherine Hiller's Cybill Unbound