Bottle Rocket Hearts
In Montreal, just before the pivotal 1995 referendum, 18-year-old Eve longs to escape her suburban life and find love. She meets Della, a mysterious, older, non-monogamous separatist, and their intense connection quickly leads them to navigate the complexities of jealousy. As the city grapples with its political future, Eve's romance with Della forces her to confront her own naiveté and define her path from an innocent teenager to a self-assured young woman.
Bottle Rocket Hearts is a standalone novel and does not feature characters or storylines that directly continue into Zoe Whittall's later works. While it shares her characteristic exploration of complex female relationships and social dynamics, it is not part of a series or shared universe with her other novels.
The novel is set against the backdrop of the real 1995 Quebec referendum, and while the characters and their specific experiences are fictional, the political tension and social atmosphere of Montreal during that period are authentically depicted. Zoe Whittall drew on her own experiences growing up in Montreal to create the setting and mood.