One reason the stories are paired is because the Columbian Exposition came at a crucial point in history: women were starting to move on their own to cities for jobs, away from their families and extended support groups, and this too was an early event that women were traveling to see without the protection of ‘chaperones’. This meant they were doing things like renting rooms in local hotels, and all sorts of things could (and did) happen to them because of this.
The book really covers this moment in history well.
