All True Lovers by Sarah Aldridge (All Editions)

All True Lovers by Sarah Aldridge is a 1978 lesbian romance set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, following two young women as they find each other and navigate the obstacles that life and society place in their path. The novel was published by Naiad Press and reissued multiple times through the 1980s and 1990s, reflecting both the press’s commitment to keeping backlist titles in print and the sustained readership Aldridge built over her career.

Genre: Grier Rated; Romance

Subjects: Lesbians – Fiction

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Comments

Sarah Aldridge was the pseudonym of Anyda Marchant, a lawyer and one of the founders of Naiad Press, who began writing lesbian fiction in her fifties. All True Lovers is among her most warmly regarded novels. Set during the Depression, it follows two teenage women whose love for each other persists through years of hardship and separation. The historical setting is handled with care, and the emotional register is more restrained and literary than the sensationalist pulp tradition that preceded Naiad’s founding.

The book’s four Naiad printings across 1978, 1982, 1985, and 1991 tell their own story: Aldridge had a loyal readership, and Naiad worked to maintain availability of her backlist at a time when lesbian fiction routinely went out of print within a year or two. Barbara Grier’s rating reflects the esteem the book held within the community. For readers interested in the early Naiad era or in lesbian historical romance with a quieter, more character-driven tone, this remains a worthwhile title.

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Publication History