annice, Pat and Barby are best friends from rural iowa, freshly arrived in booming 1950s Chicago to explore different paths toward independence, self-expression, and sexual freedom. From the hip-hang of a bohemian lifestyle to the sophisticated lure of romance with a handsome, wealthy, married boss, to the happier - but taboo - security of a lesbian relationship, these three experience first-hand the dangers and limitations that await spirited young working girls who strike out on their own in a decidedly male-centered world. an honest, explosive novel that turns conventional ideas of 1950s life and femininity upside down, The Girls in 3-B reveals in heartbreaking detail the hidden world of mid-century america, where women live on their own in seedy apartments, have premarital sex, and illegal abortions. They yearn to be artists, experiment with drugs, and, if they are so inclined, discover a mannered, thriving lesbian underworld. Valerie Taylor's focus on themes of class as well as gender and sexual identity provides an unusual perspective on the myth of the american Dream. With poverty never more than a paycheck away, the girls in 3-B inhabit a world in which their bodies are sometimes their only currency, and their artistic and career ambitions are limited by both their meager resources and the blatant sexism of their time. The characters in the novel are, surprisingly, far more self-aware and daring than most contemporary images of 1950s america - and then offers a defiantly subversive alternative. a classic pulp tale showcasing predatory beatnik men, drug hallucinations, workplace intrigues, and secret lesbian trysts, The Girls in 3-B approaches the theme of sex from the stiffened vantage point of 1950s psychology. For course use in: the fifties, lesbian studies, 20th century U.S. literature, women's studies, working-class studies.