Rita Mae Brown - novel - 1973 - p. 205, 207

Molly Bolt is the striking, strong-willed heroine of Rubyfruit Jungle, a landmark lesbian novel in which the Pennsylvania-born protagonist is relatively secure in her sexuality and at constant odds with her adoptive mother. The novel follows her from her first same-sex relationship in sixth grade to her effective expulsion from the University of Florida when her lesbianism comes to light to her migration to New York to become a filmmaker. There, she becomes friends with a gay black man and ventures into both New York City’s academic and romantic offerings.

In addition to lesbianism, the novel deals with issues including discrimination, racism, classism, and sexism in numerous aspects of life. It is largely autobiographical, reflecting many of Rita Mae Brown’s own experiences.

Key elements: absent father, art, homosexuality, lesbian