UNFORBIDDEN FRUIT.
New York: Boni and Liveright Publishers, (1928). 1st Edition. vi, [7] - 319, [1(blank)] pp. Crown 8vo. 7-1/2" x 5-1/8" Original orange cloth binding with dark blue stamping. Dust jacket. Slight cock, average wear & soiling, bookplate. Withal, a VG copy in a Good only jacket, which has edgewear & chipping, as well as lacking the front flap. Item #52020
Adams "was an American writer who was also an investigative journalist and muckraker. He wrote several novels that at the time were considered highly risqué. These titillating works, which mainly featured young women flappers and their trials and tribulations of early adulthood, often became best-sellers avidly read by Jazz Age youth. Flaming Youth, Adams' first novel of this sort, dealt with the sexual urges of young women and had a sexual frankness that was shocking for its time. Because of the nature of the novels, Adams utilized the Fabian pseudonym so that his more standard works would not be tainted by any scandal accruing to these novels. Most of these novels were later brought to the screen, including Flaming Youth starring Colleen Moore; Sailors' Wives, with Mary Astor in the lead; and The Wild Party featuring Clara Bow." [Wiki]
This novel is "set among young women attending college in the 1920s, andexplores the interplay between academic life and the burgeoning sexual awareness of its characters. It centers on the experiences of female students navigating desire, love, and societal expectations—offering a candid look at single women’s sexuality that was considered daring for its era. While not as extensively discussed as Adams’s earlier work Flaming Youth, Unforbidden Fruit shares its frank, modern attitude toward female sexuality and independence. The novel is often seen as part of a broader movement in Jazz Age literature that challenged traditional moral boundaries." [Isabella Alden, Goodreads].
All told, "this a provocative and reflective glimpse into the lives of young women in the 1920s—marked by academic ambitions, social dynamics, and evolving notions of sexuality. A lesser-known companion to Adams’s more famous Jazz Age novels, it nonetheless offers a bold, character-driven narrative that readers today find both charming and refreshingly candid."
Uncommon title on the commercial market.
Price: $245.00