In Memory of Jane Rule

Although some of you may not be familiar with the author Jane Rule, chances are, most of you have heard about or read one of her books, especially "Desert of the Hearts," which was made into a movie in 1986 called "Desert Hearts."

In an introduction to one of Jane Rule's books, novelist Katherine V. Forrest writes, “The books of Jane Rule are not only groundbreaking in their historical context, they hold some of the wisest, most eloquent and passionate writing in our literature. . . Jane Rule should finally be given her full due and the judgment she deserves: she is one of our finest writers—surely the most significant lesbian writer of the twentieth century.”

Jane Rule was born in New Jersey in 1931 and graduated from Mills College in 1952. Jane was not only a author of lesbian books, she was also a role model and a voice for free speech and gay rights. In 1956, Jane moved to Canada where not long after, her life partner of 50 years, Helen Sonthoff, soon joined her. In 1976, after Jane's first heart attack, and Helen's tenured retirement, they decided to move to Galiano Island, BC, Canada. Helen passed away in 1999 at age 83, and on November 27, 2007, Jane, age 76, died at her home, surrounded by friends and family.

I believe there is something extraordinary about an author’s ability to outlive their corporeal death... the written word can transcend any physical state of being... as if it were the true meaning of eternal life.

If you have never read any of Jane Rule's Book, here are a few you may want to take a look at:


Desert of the Hearts
The Young One in Another's Arms
After the Fire