Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff was published in 2015. The novel was a Finalist of the 2015 National Book Award and named President Barack Obama’s favorite book of 2015.
BANNED in Miami-Dade and Walton County public schools
Lotto and Mathilde seem to have a perfect marriage. Fates and Furies unfolds in two parts, each told from one spouse’s point of view. Fates follows Lotto, a successful playwright with a devoted wife. Furies shifts to Mathilde, who reveals her resentment after years of work and sacrifice to support her husband’s career. The novel examines their imperfect union, strained by male privilege, misogyny and ghosts of the past.
Fates and Furies was banned in Florida twice in 2022. When asked about the bans, author Lauren Groff said: “I think it’s because of the sex scene. Also, I actually secretly think it’s because Barack Obama really liked it, and he put it on his list. They just saw that and were like, Oh, forget it. She’s off. Like, how dare, how dare. …”
Groff, a Floridian, often sets her books in the state. Her novels capture both Florida’s natural beauty and conservative politics. In 2023, after a surge of book bans tied to new state laws, Groff opened a bookstore in Gainesville, Florida, dedicated to banned books and Florida writers. “This store would probably still be a pipe dream if the book bans hadn’t happened,” Groff said.
The bookstore is named The Lynx, after the native Florida bobcat (Lynx rufus floridanus). Groff also founded a non-profit, The Lynx Watch, which distributes banned books across the state. Since April 2024, The Lynx Watch has donated more than $70,000 worth of banned books.