Beth Mitchum

The Diary of Allie Katz Beth Mitchum

"Your journals have answered a lot of my questions, but they've also generated more. I'm glad we have the rest of our lives to figure out the answers together." ?"Love is something you stumble over, or falls on top of you, or chases you into unfamiliar territory. It isn't something you phone out for and have delivered to your door. It's more like a phantom train. You don't see it coming, but you know when it runs you over and leaves you bleeding on the tracks." Falling in love is a risky business. When the love you find is the forbidden kind, it becomes even more risky. Who says what kind of love should be forbidden? Even though times are changing, it is still sometimes very risky for same-sex couples to express their love. It can be downright dangerous in some parts of the world and even in some regions of this country. The Diary of Allie Katz is a story of love forbidden by our society. An age gap that would be irrelevant a few years in the future is much more distinct when lovers are young. When one is a student and the other a teacher, the forbidden aspect is more prominent. Given that it is love between two young women, the scandal deepens and threatens to drown the young lovers in despair while they battle with the reality of norms, mores, and discriminatory laws. But love, as risky as plucking a rose in the midst of thorns, is worth the risk when it is true.