I'm Just a Girl. . .

Trade Paperback

How Reclaiming Girlhood Can Redefine Womanhood

Over the past decade, our landscape has been repainted pink. The term 'girlhood' has become part of our popular lexicon, and in every sphere of life - from the music we listen to, to the clothes we wear, to the way we work - a feeling of longing for 'girlhood' dominates. It's not a new concept: Emily Bronte was already writing about longing for her girlhood in Wuthering Heights. But from the inundation of nostalgic reboots and revivals of TV shows we grew up with to the bows and ruffles that dominate runways, girlhood is more mainstream than ever before.

So, what has changed? In I'm Just a Girl. . . , Jess proposes a new concept: the 'second girlhood'. We know that women are forced to grow up too fast - after all, nobody shames men for playing video games or trading Pokemon cards as adults. And so, through nostalgia, play, creativity, and rebellion, the 'second girlhood' allows women to reclaim what was taken from them, reviving aspects of their childhoods - their 'first girlhood' - as adult women.

Jess primarily aims to show readers of all ages how they can embrace and find joy and empowerment in their 'second girlhood', how it can improve their lives, their friendships, their mental health, and how it can make you the best version of yourself. Ultimately, Jess celebrates a new state, one which has been longed for generations, and which allows us to finally clasp these dual identities of 'girl' and 'woman' in one hand and never let go. After all, boys have always been permitted to be boys: why not finally let girls be girls?