Big Swiss by Jen Beagin (Published 2023)

Big Swiss follows Greta, a woman in her forties who works as a transcriptionist for a sex therapist in Hudson, New York. Through her job, Greta becomes obsessed with listening to the sessions of one particular client—a woman she nicknames “Big Swiss” for her statuesque appearance and Swiss accent. Big Swiss discusses her past trauma and unconventional relationship with her much older husband.

When Greta encounters Big Swiss (whose real name is Flavia) in real life at a dog park, she impulsively strikes up a friendship without revealing that she knows intimate details about Flavia’s life from the therapy sessions. This deception becomes increasingly complicated as their relationship deepens into a sexual affair, with Greta continuing to transcribe Flavia’s therapy sessions while simultaneously becoming involved in her personal life.

The novel explores themes of intimacy, privacy, and the ethics of emotional voyeurism.