The Price of Salt

The setting in a department store involves retail culture, but not commercial product promotion.

Language is largely period-appropriate and mild by contemporary standards.

The book centers on a lesbian relationship and the systemic discrimination faced by the characters.

Brief mentions of an Episcopal boarding school; religion is not a central theme.

The core of the novel is the romantic relationship between the two protagonists.

The feeling of being watched by a private investigator creates a sense of dread and tension.

Sexual relationships and a sexual encounter are important to the plot; the supplied material does not indicate graphic description.

Any smoking or drinking appears incidental and socially contextualized, not central or glamorized. The supplied excerpt does not establish frequency, so this remains a cautious rating.

Violence is minimal, primarily involving interpersonal tension and the emotional fallout of custody disputes.