The first full-length scholarly study of Peyton Place, Grace Metalious's classic story of New England indiscretion

Writing the Survivor: The Rape Novel in Late Twentieth-Century American Fiction identifies a new genre of American fiction, the rape novel, that recenters narratives of sexual violence on the survivors of violence and abuse, rather than the perpetrators. The rape novel arose during the women’s liberation movement as women writers collectively challenged the traditional erasure of female subjectivity and agency found in earlier representations of sexual violence in American fiction. The rape novel not only foregrounds survivors and their stories in a textual centering that affirms their dignity and self-worth, but also develops new narratological strategies for portraying violent, disturbing subject matter. In bringing together many key women’s texts of the last decades of the 20th century, the rape novel demonstrates the centrality of sexual assault to women’s fiction of this era. The rape novels of the 21st century continue the political activism inherent in the genre—educating readers, offering community to survivors, and encouraging social activism—as the stories of male survivors are increasingly told. A radical reconsideration of late twentieth-century American novels, Writing the Survivor underscores the importance of women’s activism upon the novel’s form and content and reveals the portrayal of rape as rape to be an interethnic imperative.

Vijay, once a joyful child is deprived of this idyllic life by a shattering act of violence to his family. This life changing event casts a shadow over his life, such that he promises to himself that no matter how long it takes he would make every effort to rectify the injustice he witnessed. His quest for redemption is intertwined with his personal ambitions and this takes him on travels across continents. As he journeys from the naivety of childhood, through the turbulence of adolescence, and into the complexities of adulthood and parenthood, Vijay grapples with societal prejudices that come his way, but maintains his resolve to pursue his mission. But when the moment to fulfil his promise finally arrives, it unfolds in ways he could never have anticipated.

In literature and popular culture, small town America is often idealized as distilling the national spirit. Does the myth of the small town conceal deep-seated reactionary tendencies or does it contain the basis of a national re-imagining? During the period between 1940 and 1960, America underwent a great shift in self-mythologizing that can be charted through representations of small towns. Authors like Henry Bellamann and Grace Metalious continued the tradition of Sherwood Anderson in showing the small town--by extension, America itself--profoundly warping the souls of its citizens. Meanwhile, Ray Bradbury, Toshio Mori and Ross Lockridge, Jr., sought to identify the small town's potential for growth, away from the shadows cast by World War II toward a more inclusive, democratic future. Examined together, these works are key to understanding how mid-20th century America refashioned itself in light of a new postwar order, and how the literary small town both obscures and reveals contradictions at the heart of the American experience.

"Dark Secrets" tells the story about a little girl who lived a troubled life with incest and molestion .

In this lively account of the writing, publication, and legacy of the 1956 bestselling novel, "Peyton Place," Ardis Cameron tells how the story of a patricide in a small New England village became a cultural phenomenon.

From the author of The Missing Girl, Jenny Quintana’s gripping novel, Our Dark Secret, tells the story of two girls, two deaths and two decades of silence . . . As a teenager in the late 1970s, Elizabeth was clever, overweight and something of a loner. When Rachel and her family moved to town, though, Elizabeth was drawn to the bright and beautiful Rachel like a moth to a flame. She would do anything for Rachel. Anything. Then the first body was discovered. Twenty years on, Elizabeth wants nothing more than to keep the secrets of her teenage years where they belong: in the past. But another body has been found, and she can’t keep running from what happened . . . Can she? ‘Darkly compelling’ – Jane Shemilt, author of Daughter.

Reflecting current trends in scholarly analysis of evil and the feminine, the chapters contained in Re-visiting Female Evil focus upon various ‘re-interpretations’ of evil femininities as a cultural signifier of agency, transgression and crisis, re-interpreting them through rewriting of ‘other’ stories, hermeneutic re-interpretations of ancient/classical texts, and revised film/ stage adaptations. These papers illustrate how gendered cultural myths of women’s intrinsic connection to evil still persist in today’s patriarchal society, though in variant and updated forms. Mischievous, beguiling, seductive, lascivious, unruly, carping, vengeful and manipulative – from the Disney princess to the murderous Medea, these authors grapple with our understanding of what it is to be and do ‘evil’, exploring the possible sources of the fear and hatred of women and the feminine as well as their continual fascination and appeal, and how these manifest in a range of 'real life' and fictional narratives that cross times, cultures and media.

We often live in an agony from which we wish to be free, and then, when the situation changes it is not as wonderful as we expected. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence but we go to great effort to climb that fence, only to realize our predicament is worse than before. We go through the steps we took and then moan if only I had done it differently. Darlene Hawkins finds herself in an abusive relationship and for the sake of her and her children, she seeks for a way to get out. She is not prepared for the unfortunate events that happen as she makes her escape, nor for the heartache that follows. Her heart longs for the child she left behind and then an unexpected tragedy prevents their long anticipated reunion. This book is set in the nineteen forties when the world was engaged in the conflict of World War II, the introduction of the Atomic Bomb and the struggle to overcome the devastation of the Great Depression. The hills of Tennessee in the area that was to become Oakridge, Tennessee, Kilgore, Texas and Abilene, Texas are the geographical settings of the story. Darlene Hawkins struggles to provide for her family in a community steeped with traditions and the dominance of the man over his wife. The opening of the mysterious manufacturing plant in the hills of Tennessee and the introduction of women to the working world give Darlene a means of escape.

Mike Royko: The Chicago Tribune Collection 1984–1997 is an expansive new volume of the longtime Chicago news legend’s work. Encompassing thousands of his columns, all of which originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, this is the first collection of Royko work to solely cover his time at the Tribune. Covering politics, culture, sports, and more, Royko brings his trademark sarcasm and cantankerous wit to a complete compendium of his last 14 years as a newspaper man. Organized chronologically, these columns display Royko's talent for crafting fictional conversations that reveal the truth of the small-minded in our society. From cagey political points to hysterical take-downs of "meatball" sports fans, Royko's writing was beloved and anticipated anxiously by his fans. In plain language, he "tells it like it is" on subjects relevant to modern society. In addition to his columns, the book features Royko's obituary and articles written about him after his death, telling the tale of his life and success. This ultimate collection is a must-read for Royko fans, longtime Chicago Tribune readers, and Chicagoans who love the city's rich history of dedicated and insightful journalism.