Franklin Library leather edition of Mary McCarthy's "The Group" Illustrated by MIKI, one of the SIGNED 60 series, PERSONALLY SIGNED by MARY McCARTHY, signature protected by onion skin tissue paper, published in 1978. Bound in red leather, the book has grey French silk end leaves, a satin book marker, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, hubbed spine, gold gilding on three edges---in near FINE condition. Mary Therese McCarthy, who lived from 1912-1989, was orphaned at age six and grew up in Minnesota with an Aunt and later her grandparents.  She was educated at VASSAR COLLEGE in New York.  Set in 1933, "The Group" tells the story of eight females graduate of Vassar, including the women's lives post-graduation, beginning with the marriage of one of the friends, Kay Strong, and ending with her funeral in 1940. Each character struggles with different issues, including sexism in the work place, child-rearing, financial difficulties, family crises, and sexual relationships. Nearly all the women's issues involve the men in their lives: fathers, employers, lovers, or husbands. As highly educated women from affluent backgrounds, they must strive for autonomy and independence in a time when a woman's role is still largely restricted to marriage and childbirth. The plot is influenced by the political and economic atmosphere of the time. Over the course of the book, the reader learns about the women's views on contraception, love, sex, socialism, and psychoanalysis. Mary Prothero, "Pokey" is the wealthiest of the Group. Described as a "fat, cheerful New York society girl," "very rich and lazy." Pokey says she made it through Vassar only with the help of Priss, a Phi Beta Kappa. Dottie Renfrew is from a Boston family and aims to be a welfare worker after Vassar. She goes home from Kay's wedding with Dick Brown, a poor artist, and he proceeds to take her virginity. He treats her abruptly and warns her not to fall in love with him. He tells her things can be a lot better between them (sexually) if she would  get fitted with a diaphragm so he would not have to wear a condom or withdraw. Dottie eventually marries Brook Latham from Arizona. Elinor Eastlake is from Lake Forest, Illinois. After Pokey, she is the wealthiest of the group; she is cool and aristocratic, a "dark beauty," with pale skin, black hair, and large green eyes. She spends most of the book in Europe, where she goes to study art history and get a doctorate. At the end of the book, she returns to America, having fled the war in Europe. Priss Hartshorn is an idealistic believer in the FDR program; she marries Dr. Sloan Crockett, a pediatrician. She has a job with the National Recovery Administration. Helena Davison was "regarded as the droll member of the group," because of her sense of humor. Her mother has her "tutored in every conceivable subject," including athletics, musical instruments, outdoor activities and crafts. Despite her Vassar education, she gets a job as a teacher at an experimental school in Cleveland, Ohio, teaching "finger-painting." Libby MacAusland is a "tall, pretty blonde" who majored in English and is determined to break into the New York publishing industry. Gus LeRoy, the publisher, hires her to read book manuscripts.  A Norwegian baron and ski jumper, Nils Aslund, tries to seduce her, ripping her clothes off and attempting to rape her; he desists when she tells him she is a virgin. Norine Schmittlapp is interested in psychoanalysis, socialism, and anthropology. She has a dog named Nietzsche and a son named Ichabod.  Norine says "Our Vassar education made it tough for me to accept my womanly role." Norine believes that because of her education, she is "crippled for life." 416 pages. I offer Combined shipping.