Do the stories of Lydia and Charlotte have relevance to women in the late 20th century?
Leading an independent life now is still costly, though more accessible; and, even in the vast majority of enlightened, two-working partner marriages, the primary responsibility for childcare and domestic chores remains the wife’s. If, in fact, today you are a young woman in your twenties, as the women in Out of Eden are, the need to grapple with the myriad of conflicting pulls – yourself, your career, your friends, family, possibly a spouse – is similar. Fortunately, considering a career and yourself can now be included in the list. Unfortunately, in too many places, women continue to threaten when they step too far from the traditional line. The line is not as rigidly defined, certainly, but more so as one would have hoped.
