Books
“I opened my laptop to work on my memoir but what I wrote instead was this:I have to touch her. The thought wouldn’t leave my mind all day.
A chill went through me as I lifted my fingers off the keyboard. I hadn’t thought about that moment for almost two decades and WTF? It didn’t have anything to do with the story I wanted to write …”
Excerpt from
The Only Way Through Is Out
The Only Way Through Is Out is my story of coming out—and coming alive—at midlife. For decades, I followed a conventional path—marriage, children, building financial security—a life that looked close to perfect from the outside. But inside, I was slowly dying as the weight of holding a deeply buried secret eventually became unbearable.
This book is about what it took to stop denying my truth and finally step into the life I was meant to live. It’s about risk, heartache, and the joy that comes from living fully and freely as yourself. I wrote it for anyone who has ever wondered if it’s too late to become who they really are. Spoiler alert: It’s not.
“Whether this memoir makes you feel less alone or helps you understand someone else a little better, it speaks to the importance of amplifying LGBTQ+ stories and their universal lessons about privilege, authenticity, courage, and community.”
― SELF (June 2024 Well-Read Book Club pick)Praise For The Only Way Through Is Out
“With candor and deep vulnerability, Mullen offers a compelling, honest, and hopeful memoir that examines the hidden truths involved in accepting our deepest wants and desires. The Only Way Through Is Out is a lesson to all of us on what great things can happen when we act with authenticity.”
— Jessi Hempel, author of The Family Outing“Candid, inspirational. . . . An emotive memoir that issues a stirring call to women to choose self-actualization.”
― Foreword Reviews“Mullen is highly relatable and perfectly conveys her story of losing something that was important to her in order to gain something that can never be replaced—getting to know herself.”
― Out Front Magazine“An honest and insightful delve into coming out later in life, The Only Way Through Is Out is filled with tears, laughter, and, above all, hope.”
— Lara Lillibridge, author of Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home“I could not put this book down. Mullen shows us the search for one’s authentic self has no expiration date and is worth whatever it takes. This book is a glorious tale of tenacious courage that anyone searching for their own path in life will love.”
— Jennifer Louden, national bestselling author of Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next“An affecting coming-into-consciousness narrative that burrows into the urgencies of queer awakening and carries its reader through the agonies and ecstasies of living one’s truth. Suzette Mullen masterfully conjures the battling inner voices that prolong the reconciliation of her Christian beliefs with the urgings of her body and heart. A touching, visceral story that celebrates giving into queer joy, no matter how long it takes.”
— Alden Jones, author of The Wanting Was a Wilderness
Book Publicity
Explore interviews, reviews, and features about The Only Way Through Is Out from across the media.
For a complete list of publicity click here.
The Next Chapter Is Already Taking Shape
In Progress
My next memoir, After the Leap, picks up where The Only Way Through Is Out leaves off. It explores the joys and the struggles of building a new life after you think you’ve already done the hardest things. It’s about a “happily-ever-after” reinvention story that has an underbelly and the challenge of confronting the possibility of starting over, once again. It’s about joy, grief, and the transformative lesson that authenticity is a lifelong journey.
This is the next chapter of my story, and I’m writing it for anyone who’s ever asked themselves, “What happens if I leap and my life doesn’t turn out how I expected it to?”
More soon.
Be the first to hear more about my next memoir!
Order the Book
Now available as a hardcover, e-book, and audiobook!
Pick your favorite bookseller.