# Six of One

By Rita Mae Brown · Runnymede

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/six-of-one-e75f6460/

Louise and Julia Hunsenmeir have a lifetime of grievances to keep them busy in Runnymede, Maryland. Known as Wheezie and Juts, the sisters belong to a community of women whose private lives spill beyond the town's social rules. Julia's daughter, a bisexual writer, tells their story alongside that of lesbian heiress Celeste Chalfonte and her household.

## What makes it funny?

The sisters can turn driving lessons or child-rearing into another round of verbal combat. Reviewing the novel for The Harvard Crimson, Susanna Rodell praised its bawdy dialogue and the sisters' habit of remembering their affection only occasionally.

### The comedy at work

Brown brings the scale of American history down to the kitchen door. A scene quoted in the contemporary review greets the news of Germany invading Poland with a warning about letting flies through the screen. Public catastrophe has to compete with the household's immediate priorities.

### Try this if…

Readers drawn to outspoken women and long-running family arguments will find plenty to follow here. The wider community gives lesbian and bisexual characters room for love and friendship.

### Good to know

Expect profanity. The contemporary Crimson review enjoyed the dialogue but found the writing uneven and the community too idealized, with serious conflicts settled easily.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary · Historical
- On the shelf: Family comedy
- Kind of humor: Banter
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel

## Sources & further reading

- Review: [Contemporary review](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1978/10/24/a-half-dozen-of-the-other)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/19943/six-of-one-by-rita-mae-brown)