Paige is a modest and wholesome girl from a farming village, heading to University for the first time. With her ambitions set on studying medicine, she’s also hoping to meet a nice boy with whom to fall in love. She doesn’t just want to date however, as while not necessarily waiting for her wedding night, the virginal Paige is at least waiting for love and the prospect of marriage.
Her first day in the dorm sees her meet her new roommate Alyssa, the girl who is everything Paige is not - Beautiful, athletic and attractive to boys, yet also sweet and vulnerable. A rare medical disorder has made her a target for bullies and her looks have attracted bad behaviour from men. Alyssa is a source of fascination to Paige and they are soon best friends.
After Alyssa comes home in tears after being treated badly by a date, Paige realises her feelings are more than just friendly. Tormented by the sin of her feelings and overwhelmed with lust for Alyssa, Paige seeks out her local pastor for advice. A kindly man, he nonetheless points her towards ex-gay therapy to save her from becoming a sinner. Luckily Paige is in an environment with other intelligent adults and, after confessing all to her professor, is assured that same-sex longings are no threat to her inherent heterosexuality. Buoyed by her professor’s words and consumed by love, Paige decides to declare her feelings to Alyssa.
This is an interesting book as the developing relationship between Alyssa and Paige is well written and clearly based on real-life experiences. While being young and and full of hope, their relationship is not perfect, with their individual demons eventually impacting on their love. There are a lot of gratuitous sex scenes, which is fantastic considering sex is often whitewashed out in lesbian novels. What’s not so fabulous is the authors biased view of the lesbian scene around the two girls. When I came out and entered the lesbian scene, I gained friendship, lovers, support and family from the lesbians around me. Paige and Alyssa however, seem to immediately fall in with bullies, swingers, adulterers, and radical feminists. It’s an unnecessary stain in what could have been a rewarding lesbian novel.
I would recommend The Path Not Chosen as it’s a well put together portrayal of both first love, and despite both parties best intentions, how a relationship can slowly fall apart.
Review by Ida Raine
