A great American writerHighsmiths writing is wickedit puts a spell on you. Entertainment WeeklyPatricia Highsmiths story of romantic obsession may be one of the most important, but still largely unrecognized, novels of the twentieth century. First published in 1952 and touted as the novel of a love that society forbids, the book soon became a cult classic.Based on a true story plucked from Highsmiths own life, The Price of Salt (or Carol) tells the riveting drama of Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a departmentstore day job, whose routine is forever shattered by a gorgeous epiphanythe appearance of Carol Aird, a customer who comes in to buy her daughter a Christmas toy. Therese begins to gravitate toward the alluring suburban housewife, who is trapped in a marriage as stultifying as Thereses job. They fall in love and set out across the United States, ensnared by societys confines and the imminent disapproval of others, yet propelled by their infatuation. The Price of Salt is a brilliantly written story that may surprise Highsmith fans and will delight those discovering her work.