It was so affirming to read a textually queer story, published when my grandmother was a small child. We really have always been here. Depictions of women’s struggles in the 1800s were well presented. I really felt for the main character, and was deeply interested in her political awakening. I wish her lover was as well rounded – there’s some uncomfortable Jewish stereotyping going on, made more noticeable by knowledge of the time period the story was written in. I’m uncertain how much to judge a book this old for that issue, but I can’t leave it unnoticed.