The Girls in 3-B

By Valerie Taylor

1959

First Published

3.46

Average Rating

232

Number of Pages

7H04M

Audio Length

An honest, explosive novel that turns conventional ideas of 1950s femininity upside down, The Girls in 3-B reveals in page-turning detail the hidden world of mid-century America, showcasing predatory Beatnick men, workplace intrigues, drug hallucinations, repressed family secrets, and clandestine lesbian trysts. From the hip-hang of a bohemian lifestyle to the sophisticated lure of a wealthy boss to the happier—but taboo—security of a lesbian relationship, these three young women experience first-hand the adventures and the limitations that await spirited young working women who strike out on their own in a decidedly male-centered world.

Avg Rating

3.46

Number of Ratings

371

5 STARS

13%

4 STARS

38%

3 STARS

35%

2 STARS

11%

1 STARS

goodreads

Author

Valerie Taylor

Author · 9 books

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name Valerie Taylor is the pen name of Velma Young (1913–1997), author of the lesbian pulp classics Whisper Their Love (1957), The Girls in 3-B (1959), World Without Men (1963), Journey to Fulfillment (1964), and Ripening (1988). With the $500 proceeds of her first novel, Hired Girl (1953), Taylor bought a pair of shoes, two dresses, and hired a divorce lawyer. After leaving her husband, she kicked off a prolific career as the author of pulp fiction novels, poetry (under the name Nacella Young), and romances (under the name Francine Davenport). A longtime activist for gay and lesbian rights, she was a co-founder of Mattachine Midwest and the Lesbian Writers Conference in Chicago. (source)