The Price of Salt: Or Carol, Paperback/Patricia Highsmith

Centering on an unlikely romance between a young sales clerk and a lonely housewife, this lesbian cult classic is an engrossing tale of passion and self-discovery. Therese, a young sales clerk, and Carol, a housewife in the throes of a bitter divorce, meet by chance, but their instant connection is no accident. Fleeing the oppressive routines of their daily lives, they pursue their blossoming romance down the open highway in search of freedom and bliss. But their honeymoon is cut short when Carol is faced with the painful choice between caring for her child and being with her new love. Best known for her psychological thrillers, Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley , Patricia Highsmith published The Price of Salt under a pseudonym to avoid suffering from 1952's disparaging view of homosexuality. But Highsmith's complex and insightful treatment of lesbian characters continues to defy stereotypes about the LGBT community. A landmark in the history of American feminist and lesbian literature, The Price of Salt is a sensual, articulate, and engaging treatise on the importance of being true to one's self.