Struggles in a Boston Marriage

by Ellen M. Levy

True love knows no bounds . . .Deborah and Miriam are two young women whose love has survived the many obstacles life has thrown their way in their first years together. Now they find themselves in Boston, raising a young child whose been diagnosed as a Mongoloid Idiot, in an era where little was known about how to care for such a child at home. Deborah's thrilled that her writing is due to become published and she also pleased to be part of a growing and thriving business. Despite having found the woman of her dreams, she finds herself irritable and untrusting of Miriam’s love.Miriam has given her heart and soul to Deborah and feels fulfilled now that she has a child and has meaningful volunteer work. She is proud of all their accomplishments at the printing and publishing shop and with her own ability to stand firm in her beliefs, even when Deborah challenges her. The world around them is changing. The Suffrage movement is trying to give women the freedom to vote and they feel guilty that they do not have enough time to continue their work for this cause. Also, people fear their country may go to war. During this time of uproar, Deborah and Miriam find their relationship becomes tested by an outsider. Will their love be strong enough to endure?

266 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2024

Reviews

[Nancy Manahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Struggles in a Boston Marriage" is so gripping I could hardly put it down. Ellen Levy brilliantly imagines life for a young lesbian couple with no role models and few friends but enough grit and love for each other to surmount every obstacle. The sex is almost as sizzling as in Levy's first novel in the series, "Romance at Stonegate." (Levy writes great erotic scenes.)

In this book, Deborah and Miriam struggle with their printing business, family illnesses (physical and mental), homophobic rejection, the care of their Down Syndrome daughter, and, most threatening of all, Mariam's attraction to a young woman who volunteers at a settlement house. A bonus is an appendix with stories about girls at the settlement house, providing glimpses of challenges facing early 20th century females, like the Orphan Train, textile mill workers' exploitation, and the price of being a suffragette.

Deborah and Miriam are likeable and admirable; they stayed with me long after I finished "Struggles in a Boston Marriage." I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.