The Price of Salt

LGBT love affairs have appeared in the works of British and American writers since the early 20th century. But it was not until 1952 that the novel "The Price Of Salt" by female writer Patricia Highsmith became a phenomenon published in the United States and officially brought gay literature out of the shadows. The Price of Salt is set in 1950s America, when society was still severely prejudiced against homosexuals, and chronicles the love tale of teenage Therese Belivet a young salesperson with a struggling life, and middle-aged lady Carol Aird who is a housewife in a disappointing divorce, let go of the pressures of everyday life to follow their own path of freedom. They are both lonely persons who are lost in their own worlds and are constantly yearning for happiness. But that happiness of having just found each other was completely shattered when Carol was forced to choose between her baby daughter and the person she loved.

Maybe that's why Therese and Carol's hearts beat together the first time they saw each other as Christmas approached. The gentle but deep affection helps both find new vitality and find the light of joy on the road of traveling in the dreary winter sky. However, happiness was not always enough to help them overcome limits and prejudices, because, at the time, many believed homosexuality was a "disease" that needed to be treated by a doctor. Although their end is unfinished and painful, their love is still a beautiful thing, leaving strong emotions for the reader.

Detailed information:
Author: Patricia Highsmith, Claire Morgan
Publication date: 1952

Genres: Novel

Pages: 276 pp (hardcover ed.), 292 pp (paperback ed., 2004)
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Price-Salt-Carol-Patricia-Highsmith/dp/0393325997