"If you turn over a rock in these small towns, you just never know what you’ll find."

In 1956, young mother and housewife Grace Metalious published Peyton Place, her debut novel, which would go on to become one of the highest-selling books ever published. But it was also considered scandalous and dirty for its portrayal of sex, adultery, incest, and abortion. On this month's episode, we're looking into how Peyton Place wasn't actually the trash it was made out to be, as well as the forgotten legacy of its feminist-trailblazing creator.

Theme music is credited to Wendy Marcini, Elvin Vanguard, and Jules Gaia.

Instagram: @literaryscandals

Selected bibliography:

• Peyton Place (1999 ed.) by Grace Metalious

• Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious by Emily Toth

• Unbuttoning America: A Biography of Peyton Place by Ardis Cameron

• "Peyton Place's Real Victim," Vanity Fair

• "50 Shades of Grace," New Hampshire magazine