Jeanette's mother frequently lauds the good and moral behaviour of the titular character in Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.The novel also contains references to numerous other literary works, historical figures and aspects of popular culture: The novel is divided into eight sections, each of which is named after one of the first eight books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.) Each chapter often contains references and allusions to their corresponding book in the Bible.

As an adolescent, Jeanette finds herself attracted to another girl, and her mother's group of religious friends subject her and her partner to exorcisms. The book depicts religious enthusiasm as an exploration of the power of love. She believes she is destined to become a missionary. The main character is a young girl named Jeanette, who is adopted by evangelists from the Elim Pentecostal Church. A parallel non-fictional account of her life at this time is given in her 2011 memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Although the protagonist of Oranges bears the author's first name, John Mullan has argued that it is neither an autobiography nor a memoir, but a Künstlerroman. 'I wrote about some of these things in Oranges, and when it was published, my mother sent me a furious note'. The book is semi-autobiographical and is based on Winterson's life growing up in Accrington, Lancashire. It has been included on both GCSE and A-Level reading lists for education in England and Wales, and was adapted by Winterson into a BAFTA-winning 1990 BBC television drama serial of the same name. Key themes of the book include transition from youth to adulthood, complex family relationships, same-sex relationships, organised religion and the concept of faith.

It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press.

Jeanette oranges are not the only fruit