Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule

Desert of the Heart was Rule’s most famous and notorious novel. Originally published in 1964 it was later made into the cult classic film ‘Desert Hearts’ by Donna Dietch in 1985. Now available to stream or buy as part of the Criterion Collection on The Criterion Channel which we would highly recommend seeking out. Part of the Janus Films collection, the plot of the film follows that laid out by Rule in her short novel.

‘Donna Deitch’s swooning and sensual first film, Desert Hearts, was groundbreaking upon its 1986 release: a love story about two women, produced and directed by a woman. In the 1959-set film, an adaptation of a beloved novel by Jane Rule, straitlaced East Coast professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives in Reno to file for divorce, but winds up catching the eye of someone new, the younger free spirit Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), touching off a slow seduction that unfolds against the breathtaking desert landscape. With smoldering chemistry between its two leads, an evocative jukebox soundtrack, and vivid cinematography by Robert Elswit, Desert Hearts beautifully exudes a sense of tender yearning and emotional candor.’

Paperback
Published by Talon Books
Second Printing 1980