Dive into second-wave feminism, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, gurus, hippies, Mafiosi, the Pill, the Beatles, class distinctions, astrology, but most of all, the eternal mystery of what’s going on between men and women.

Ann Medlock’s roman á clef follows Lee Palmer, a smart woman swimming solo against the powerful tides of the Mad Men era—a time not designed for a divorced mom working “outside the home.” Beset by nightmares of homelessness, Lee welcomes the safety of having a knight protector, the brilliant, charming Joe Montagna, who becomes the greatest danger she’s ever faced.

Silence of the Seamaid will piss you off and break your heart—it will also make you laugh out loud. And maybe even cheer.