Becoming Janice by Ragini Werner
Fine lesbian fiction set in London and Amsterdam
Becoming Janice is relatable lesbian fiction, a captivating coming-of-age story that follows Janice in her search for love and personal growth in London and Amsterdam.
The story begins with Janice, newly arrived in London from Auckland, seeking to fill the void left by her first lesbian lover.
When Janice runs away to Amsterdam, the vibrant gay scene of the city, vividly portrayed by sapphic author Ragini Werner, creates a rich backdrop for Janice’s further adventures in love and self-discovery.
By By Molly Quell
Becoming Janice is a queer coming-of-age story, focusing on the titular Janice who moves from New Zealand to London to Amsterdam to discover herself and find love.
The book opens in London, where Janice is nurturing a broken heart and scraping by in a dilapidated share-house. After an incident with one of her male roommates, Janice heads for Amsterdam. Set in the 1980s, the city’s vibrant gay scene is practically a character itself.
She finds an entry-level job, lucks into a rented room and falls in love. The feelings are unrequited and a heartbroken Janice finds solace in another transplant to the Netherlands.
The vibrant colours of the book’s cover reflect the community in which Janice lands when she arrives in the capital city. Poetry readings, plays and evenings in cafes showcase the best Amsterdam has to offer.
Published in 2024, the book is set in 1979 and 1980. The setting is historic but much about the city feels modern. Janice doesn’t call anyone on a cell phone but she struggles to master cycling, the Dutch language and finding affordable housing — all complaints internationals would find familiar.
Janice is young and just finding her way in the world. She makes choices the reader finds frustrating and at times lacks emotional maturity. As the year progresses, she finds her footing and herself.
This article first appeared in DutchNews on 17 December 2024.
Like the work’s main character, author Ragini Werner moved from New Zealand to London and then Amsterdam. As with Janice, she carries a Dutch passport but had never lived in the country and didn’t feel “Dutch.”
“I arrived in Amsterdam on my birthday in 1980 and knew the name of one cafe so I went there. I asked them if they knew where I could stay and they pointed me to a student hostel. I’ve been in the Netherlands ever since,” she told Dutch News in an interview earlier this year.
It’s a charming coming-of-age story set in a well-rendered Amsterdam. You can get a copy of Becoming Janice on the author’s website as well as ABC’s.
