A Certain Discontent - Softcover

Set in the late 1940s, this book describes ultra-self-contained Joanna Becker's formative years. First-person narratives by Joanna's great-aunt, female lover, and others detail how even wealthy, privileged women suffer grave constraints under social codes dominated by male heterosexuals. Reared by her exacting father to enjoy activities frequently reserved for boys, Joanna is eventually denied such male prerogatives, including equal treatment in law school. Deciding that the law has misinterpreted both her mother's death from alcohol abuse and her father's suicide, she determines to effect immediate change, only to hurt and be hurt in the process. Overwriting and stilted dialog diminish the novel's impact, but the author does manage to portray successfully a community of interesting, gifted women who influence--and make their own demands upon--Joanna. An optional purchase for larger collections.
- Jane S. Bakerman, Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.