Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families

By Elisabeth Sheff

Welcome to the polycule: the network created by the interconnections of polyamorous relationships. Just like the molecules that make up all living things, polycules come in diverse forms: large, small, tightly bound, loosely connected, static, ever-changing. How do polycules form, what do they look like, how do they transform through time, and how do they, sometimes, end?
The first of its kind, this anthology brings together stories, poems, drawings and essays created by real people living in polycules. Children describe life with more than two parents; adults share what it’s like to parent with more than one partner. We hear from triads, solos, people who have felt polyamorous their entire lives, and people exploring poly for the first time. Some whimsical, some hilarious, some heartbreaking, some mundane, some life-changing—all pieces reflect the diverse reality of polyamorous families.

“This book is laugh-out-loud hilarious, even the very heartbreaking parts about poly divorces and the occasional ostracism by family and friends. The writing is smart, lively, and utterly fascinating! You will feel like a fly on the wall in many, many poly households as it gives you a front-row seat to the amazing diversity of poly relationships, the intimate details of how they work (and sometimes don’t work), and what makes poly people tick. You won't be able to put it down! Every short chapter is a real gem of storytelling, and the characters are unforgettable. This is the one book to give your friends or family members who challenge you with ‘Explain this polyamory thing to me, will you?’”—Kathy Labriola, author of Love in Abundance and The Jealousy Workbook

"I think that readers will very much enjoy the variety of stories that are available to them in this anthology. Whether you are new to a poly relationship or have a long-term established poly family, it is affirming to find stories that you relate to. You feel less alone in the world. And for people who don’t know a poly family personally, the stories give a human face to the word 'polyamory.'"—Amy, Red Thread Farm

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thorntree Press
• Release date: Oct 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9780991399789