I Am a Woman

Not only is this book an amazing read, but culturally very important Ann Bannon is a genius.

I just love how the character Laura went from Odd Girl Out to this part of her life. Jack Mann is my type of guy I hated him at first since he seemed like a smart-...to me . But I started getting to know him through the whole series of Ann Bannon's books and he really is the Man.I was surpeised how the main character Laura became a strong yet brash woman and her acceptance on who she is almost brings tears to once eye. But I still think she's nuts. But its well written and I still read it over and over.

The only reason this book rated as a nine rather than a ten is because of the time period in which it was written lends to a negative tone towards lesbianism and male homosexuality.This book was like a fountain in the desert to me when I was a young lesbian. It was orginally written and published in the 1950's.The complete title of the book is actually "I am A Woman In Love With a Woman Must Society Reject Me."Ann Bannon has said she wrote the book in order to save her own sanity. I know it helped save mine.The novel revolves around Laura who has left college because Beth, her first lover, chose to marry a man rather than continue the relationship with Laura.Laura, an enigmatic young woman, delicately blonde, tries to turn her back on her lesbian feelings, and live her life with no emotional involvement.Fate has other things in mind for Laura. Thru her roommate Marcie and Marcie's ex-husband, Burr, Laura meets a cyncial, witty, highly intelligent and closeted gay man, Jack.And thru Jack, Laura meets one of the most famous butch lesbian characters of all time, the boyishly handsome, charmatic Beebo Brinker.I have read and re-read this book perhaps a dozen times or more, and will undoubtedly read it yet again.