Choices

by Nancy Toder

Can you ever really forget your first lover?

Sandy and Jenny are college roommates and best friends, and only gradually do they realize their growing attraction to one another. They become secret, but passionate lovers, yet after graduation they drift apart. When they meet up again years later by chance, the two women must confront the choices they’ve made in life. Was theirs just a schoolgirl crush or the romance of a lifetime—about to be rekindled?

“Moving and thought-provoking. Nearly every question about lesbian identity is raised and considered at length. Nancy Toder is both genuine and intelligent.” - Jane Rule, The Body Politic

“Choices is not only a serious lesbian novel, but also one of the very few that succeeds in developing its characters believable over an extended time span. Well worth reading.” - Sojourner

“Choices really is a classic lesbian love story. It has everything required for a good read: plot, character, action, erotica. It may be the most popular novel since Rubyfruit Jungle.” - Off Our Backs

“I did more than simply read this book, I experienced it. Choices is a courageous novel. It can proudly take its place in a new genre of lesbian fiction.” - Gay Community News

“Nancy Toder is the Rita Mae Brown of the realistic.” - Lesbian News

Genres: Fiction, Lesbian, LGBT, Queer, Romance, Lesbian Fiction, Adult Fiction

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Jen Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in 1994 and still have the 10th anniversary edition I bought at the time. It is a very well written story about two young women who meet at college and become lovers. As the title suggests they make different choices when they leave college. The story is set in the 1970s. One of them lives her life as an 'out and proud' lesbian while the other opts for the safety of marriage. The first part is about their relationship at college and the second part about what happens when they meet fifteen years later. Both have unresolved issues to deal with.

This really is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone to read.

[treehugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me by my first love around the time when we were both figuring out that it just wasn't gonna work out, and the pain was searing and pervasive. For me, even thinking about this book sends me right back into that time in my life, and so I'm not really able to judge this book on its own merit.

[Brianna Murray · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely put a book down in the middle, and stop reading it. However, this was the one. The characters did not have believable distinct personalitys, and I found myself not interested by their foolish mistakes or typical problems. Good luck if you try to read this one. The author can clearly write, but the character development is just completely absent.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

lesbian romance in which the main characters become psychologists... i mean how could i not like it?

[Meghan McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see Jenny and Sandy’s relationship especially from a historical sense. The views and attitudes about lesbians in the 60s and 70s is way different from today. But I also feel that this led to it getting overly political at times to a point where I didn’t feel that drove the plot or didn’t add much to the characters or their relationship.
Most of the book I about the characters thinking about their relationship with eachother with very little action. Just pining or reminiscing which is good to have but it got to a point where it was too much.
I also felt useless at the end where they never got back together so it felt like all the pondering and pining was for nothing. I kept cheering them on to be together and it never happened.

[K K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the character development. I wish that the main character and the end of book love interests' relationship was written about more. The cycling arguments were a bit annoying. It was a great read for understanding a different time and the choices someone might make.

[ciannnnnnnnnnnnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

a slow paced love story, nothing significant

[Ginger Segreti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have had this book on my bookshelves for what has seemed an eternity. I tried reading it long ago and I recently attempted another sitting. I wanted to like the story. There was just something painfully tedious about it. The book failed to draw me in and hold me. I forced myself to pick it up a few times before finally deciding to let the book go.

[Kat]

Thanks Bambi.;)

[Whoopy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a totally romantic novel but a story that starts you thinking.