Little did Grace Metalious (1924–1964) realize that, when she authored Peyton Place (1956), a novel set in the fictional New England title town, she would be creating a financial gold mine. Metalious was a thirty-two-year-old Gilmanton, New Hampshire, housewife with three children, a high school education, and no previous experience as a writer. The story she told involved scandal and sin in the small town. Peyton Place became one of the most famous fictional places in America. It eventually became the setting of a second novel, two hit movies, one ground-breaking prime-time television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) series, one daytime soap opera (see entry under 1930s—TV and Radio in volume 2), and two made-for-TV movies.

In Peyton Place, Metalious tells the story of Allison MacKenzie, an adolescent whose mother, Constance, operates a dress shop. Constance claims that she is a widow, but it...