In Every Port [Paperback]

Karin Kallmaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Jessica has it all. An expensive condo in the city of dreams, San Francisco. A high-powered, prestigious career as a management consultant that takes her all over the country... To passionate Roberta, in Chicago. To delicious Marilyn, in San Antonio. To all those cities and all those willing women Jessica has recorded in her well-used little black book.

Sex with these women doesn't really mean a thing, Jessica tells herself. It's all just good times. Because she is not really a lesbian. No, of course not. Her sexual adventures are merely keeping her occupied until she decides to settle down ... with a man.

Then she meets Cat, the alluring young hotel executive who lives across the hall from her new condo. What is Jessica to make of her chaotic feelings, her yearning -- and yes, her deepening love -- for the sensuous, captivating Cat, who offers entrancing friendship, but nothing more?

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This sexy page-turner of a novel offers wonderful entertainment. It will take you back to 1978 and all of its tumultuous events. It will give you a contemporary and ultimately thought-provoking look at the times of Harvey Milk, and his legacy to us all. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Author

The year is 1978. Disco reigns. Harvey Milk has been elected to the San Francisco City Council. Jessica is buying a condo. She is not a lesbian. She just sleeps with lesbians. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Naiad Pr; 1st edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941483347
• ISBN-13: 978-0941483346
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Excerpts from all my novels: www.kallmaker.com

At my website you can find my complete bibliography, descriptions, reviews and links to additional content, like podcasts and video.

Recent review from the Lesbian News by Teresa DeCrescenzo: "Warming Trend is... populated with a fine, credible cast of supporting characters... It's a good read, as we've come to expect from Kallmaker. The contrasting settings-Alaska and Florida-and the richly drawn characters make us want to connect with them, especially with Ani and Eve. Even the rather esoteric interest in ice rings true."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's 1978, You're a Lesbian, What Now?, April 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: In Every Port (Paperback)

Some books set in the past read like history lessons and are just about as dry and dull, too. But not this one. Instead of lots of emphasis on events and who did what, this novel is like a history lesson in the emotions of a burgeoning lesbian-feminist. I take for granted a lot not just how far we've come as lesbians, but also as women. Jessica is the kind of woman who thought of stuff to teach women about work and success that we all take for granted now.

But that's all secondary to a nice, romantic plot about two women who fall in love and have to figure out how to show it. It's 1978, you're in love with another woman -- do you propose? There's no gay marriage, there aren't even commitment ceremonies. I liked reading about women who had to think about that stuff because nobody had been doing what they wanted to do, which is start a life obviously together.

I had never read this early book of Kallmaker's because it was set in the past, but after reading the short story based on these characters in Frosting on the Cake I started to look for it and it was out of print. Now it's back in print and I'm glad! Every gay person should know who Harvey Milk was. Not as a name on a page but how this book let me see him: as a dream of what our future could be, and the hope that he gave two women (and the rest of us) that there would be a better future for gay people.

Considering all that this little romance accomplishes, it's no surprise to me that Kallmaker many years later wrote Substitute for Love, which looks again at the political reality of many gay people. I swear, if the L-Word had this woman writing for them I might start believing their plots!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars romance fans shouldn't miss this one, October 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In Every Port (Paperback)

I've read all the books by Kallmaker. This one is were you should start off if you ever plan on reading everything she's written. This is TRUE romance, the characters, the plot, but most importanly, the way she takes you there, ever so gently, slowly, smoothly ... this book is REALLY a page turner.

If you are that romantic person that never quite found out what romance was all about, geez, don't lose any time and read this book. Then read the rest. And then come back and read this one again. And if you ever forget what Kallmaker is all about, read it again.

This book is what made her the Queen of Romance...she only got to be a better Queen with the others. And she's a better writter nowadays too.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Girl Gets Girl, Girl Loses Girl, Girl gets Girl back, May 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: In Every Port (Paperback)

I loved this book. It is the first of Kallmaker's books and althought I love all her books, I have to say this was my favorite. Given the way the book flowed much of the time, the ending was a bit jarring. If Kallmaker wanted to make a statement, perhaps she should have done it in another book. Jessica is a free-lance assertiveness training speaker and has finally put together enough money to buy a condo in the high interest rate atmosphere of late 1970's San Francisco. Jessica has only had affairs with women but is sure that when she is ready, she will settle down with a man. The internal dialogue between Jessica and Herself are hysterical. You should buy the book just for that. Jessica's neighbor on the 3rd floor of the condo she just bought is Cat Merrill. Jessica is captivated by Cat and she and Cat become good friends. However, Jessica discovers to her dismay that she is very attracted to Cat and has to finally admit to herself that she is a lesbian. Her trip to Texas to visit her friend/lover Marilyn is hysterical. She buys her first lesbian books at a women's bookstore and feels self-conscious. There are many great parts but I think the fact that the ending takes place with the deaths of Mayor Mascone and gay activist Harvey Milk detract from the book. As I said before, Kallmaker should have put it in a different book, if she wanted to write about the deaths of those two men. Still, buy the book. You'll love it and Jessica (Herself) and Cat.