Little enticement was necessary, however, since Toklas's life in San Francisco was by then depressing and even stultifying. Her mother had died when Toklas was in her late teens, and she became cook and housekeeper for a group of male relatives which included her father, grandfather, younger brother, and assorted uncles and cousins. Because of her family obligations, she was forced to withdraw from social life; by the age of twenty-nine, she was living a dull, spinsterish existence.
With a journalist friend, Harriet Levy, Toklas left home, hoping never to return. She arrived in Paris in September 1907 and on the evening of her arrival met Gertrude Stein. Toklas was immediately fascinated by Stein, describing her later as "a golden brown presence" who emanated a deep and rich inner life. For her part, Stein was interested in Toklas and had been for some time. She had read and analyzed letters which Toklas had written to a friend in Paris, and she felt that she already knew her.
The two women saw a great deal of each other throughout the fall, winter, and spring, and Toklas began to offer encouragement for Stein's writing.
This is a free page. This page contains 177 words. This
biography contains 2,104 words (approx. 7 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Alice B(abette) Toklas Access Pass.
