Just because we fall in love does not mean that it will last forever. There are some relationships that, as much as we may not want it to happen, have an end date.
The Price of Salt, or Carol, by Patricia Highsmith, was originally published in 1952. In the 1950s, Therese Belivet is a young wannabe designer who is forced to earn a living by working in a department store. Her life is changed when she meets Carol Aird, a suburban housewife who is buying a Christmas present for her child. Therese’s job is as emotionally draining as Carol’s marriage.
They eventually fall in love and take a cross-country road trip across the United States. While Therese and Carol are in the glow of new love, their bubble will soon burst. Carol must make a choice: Therese or her daughter.
This is not a splashy firework-type romance. This is a quiet love story between two women, that in a more tolerant time, would be accepted as is. But. because it is set in a constrictive era, there is no walking into the sunset between the protagonists.
What strikes me is that I am grateful for pioneers like Highsmith. Even though she wrote under a pseudonym, the novel makes a small crack in the door towards equality and respect.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
The Price of Salt, or Carol is available wherever books are sold.
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