Peyton Place

Peyton Place is a sleepy little American town, like any other. But, like any other, it harbors its fair share of secrets.

Constance MacKenzie is a widower-or so the residents of Peyton Place believe. In reality, after leaving Peyton Place she carried on an affair that lasted until her illicit lover's untimely death. No one in town knows the truth-not even her daughter, Allison, a budding intellectual and aspiring author. Allison feels lonely and isolated in Peyton Place, save for the company of her best friend, Selena Cross, a poor girl trapped under the thumb of an abusive stepfather.

As the ebb and flow of small-town drama cascades over Peyton Place, the three women must navigate the constraints of their pasts, the potential of their futures, and growing understandings of their own sexuality.

Peyton Place was a resoundingly successful, and deeply controversial-novel when published, bolstered by its colorful cast and frank discussions of sex and sexuality. It was adapted as a film, and then a prime time television series.