Fortune's Rocks

More about the book

This work is a meditation on women's erotic lives, class prejudices, and the journey of an unforgettable young woman. Set in New Hampshire at the turn of the last century, it tells the profound story of unwise love and life-altering choices. Olympia Biddeford, the only child of a prominent Boston couple, is a precocious and educated young woman, full of ideas and the first stirrings of maturity. Her summer at her family's vacation home transforms dramatically with the arrival of a doctor, a family friend whose controversial book on mill-town laborers captivates her. As Olympia becomes enthralled by his intellect and moral drive, she also experiences overwhelming sexual desire for him. The doctor, a married man nearly three times her age, becomes the object of her passionate, yet torturous affair. Defying societal norms and her own self-preservation, Olympia's choices lead to cataclysmic consequences, resulting in her expulsion from her familiar world. The story follows her determination to reinvent her shattered life and reclaim what she cannot live without. This narrative is a beautifully crafted exploration of a young woman's thoughts and actions, showcasing the complexities of love and the struggle against societal constraints.