What A Bookstore For Women Should Be

The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found this book to be charming and endearing. After Harriet's loss of her lifelong partner Vickie, she begins to realize how dependent and sheltered her life was in that relationship. She never regrets being with Vickie as she is the love of her life and always will be however she starts to step outside of her comfort zone and opens a feminist bookstore in a diverse but somewhat conservative area. With a few threats and attacks on her opening such a place, she never stops remembering why she wanted the bookstore, to provide a safe place for women to come together and communicate, share ideas and offer eachother support. This "third place" as we sometimes hear it referred to, has always been taken for granted by men as they have the local pub or bar down the street and "boys night out". Harriet felt the need of this type of community for women and even after a tragic event occurs, she never stops believing she's done the right thing. She meets a diverse group of people, men and women, that come to her with their problems and often times she feels like a counselor. I think it might be the first time in her life she's felt needed and liked for being herself and not in Vickie's shadow. In this book, I saw how tough it must have been back then to come out and be gay, to call yourself a Lesbian and not fear for the loss your job, the loss of your family and friends right down to the loss of yourself. I would highly recommend this book to those that feel they are swimming upstream and discriminated against. In the end, we are much more alike than different inside.


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