Women in the Shadows Audiobook By Ann Bannon cover art

Women in the Shadows

 Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible Premium Plus.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Women in the Shadows

By: Ann Bannon
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

Designated the “Queen of Lesbian Pulp” for her series of landmark novels beginning in 1957, Ann Bannon defined lesbian fiction for the pre-Stonewall generation. Following the release of Cleis Press's new editions of Beebo Brinker and Odd Girl Out, Women in the Shadows finds Laura in love among the lesbian bohemia of Greenwich Village. This edition features a new introduction by the author.

©1959, 2002 Cleis Press (P)2011 Cleis Press Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Popular Culture Social Sciences Women's Fiction

Critic reviews

“Sex. Sleaze. Depravity. Oh, the twisted passions of the twilight world of lesbian pulp fiction.” ( Chicago Free Press)
“Shameless tales of wanton dyke lust are finally unveiled!” ( Out)
All stars
Most relevant
In this, the third book in the chronicles, we continue to follow Laura as she experiments with and learns about love through various relationships. The dominant and darkest one was with Beebo Brinker, who was so desperate to hang on to Laura that she kept track of her every move, abused her and finally did other things to try to keep Laura in the relationship. Also in this book, we see Jack finally deciding that he needs to find a woman to marry to protect him against continuing to fall for young pretty boys who don’t stay with him, in his mid 40’s now. He finally convinces Laura to marry him. The idea is that they will each continue their gay relationships, but every night they’ll come home and eat together, and be together for the night,(not sexually of course) and start the day together in the morning. This marriage brings its own complications as previous lovers continue to interfere with both Jack and Laura. Bannon in this book brings forward some of the bleaker problems faced by lesbians in the 1950’s where the only place to meet people was in the gay bars. My least favorite book of the series. But also very revealing of the times.

No. 3 in the Beebo Brinker Series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I will honestly say I skimmed through some sections that dragged out the camp/pulp drama, but I agree with the author and the person she mentioned who said this was a masterpiece for its time. It took on the topics of race, gay people as prospective parents, the rampant use and abuse of alcohol in the gay community and domestic violence decades before they came to the forefront of other fiction writers or academia. But at the heart of it was the story of loves ebbing tides and relationships over time and the desire/need to feel the spark of new exciting love – even when you know better.

Not the easiest read - but I think brighter times are ahead for our beloved characters.

A very good pulp adaptation of hard times

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was a great puzzle that will never be complete. Heartbreaking, confusing, and frustrating. And greatly held my attention.

Wow

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Such a good read, but the subject matter is absolutely heartbreaking. Laura is my favourite, but even her choices are problematic.

So good, but subject matter is heartbreaking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Brace yourself the third in the sires is a kick to the head and know mistake ,Ann got raked over the coals especially for this one because of it's content ,not for the faint hearted , Beebo and Laura are at braking point and there not shy about it I all most gave up on them both but well you'll see.
written in the fifties with fifties values these stories and this one in particular reflect this ,I love these books and I thank Ann Bannon ,and the Narrator she is amazing.

Beebo Breaker

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews