A watershed year, 1945 is an end and a beginning: the end of the largest and most profound war in human history; the beginning of an unprecedented period of growth for the United States and its emergence as a world leader; the beginning of the baby boom years; and, thanks to Rosie the Riveter, the seed of women's flight from the kitchen. Liz Chase, Dottie Cook and Sarah Johnson, college freshmen, are young and eager to be part of this new world. But none of them realize the snares that lay waiting for them in this new world, problems that women still face today, problems that are inherent in being a woman: The grand dilemma of love, children and careers.

Patricia Abbott, transplanted from her native southern Ohio, lives in Arlington, Texas.