According to Margarita Landazuri at the Turner Classic Movies website, "...the origin of the term 'Boston Marriage', which in the late 19th century came to describe a marriage-like relationship between two women who live independently together without a man's support, is attributed to [Henry] James and his novel. [Henry] James is believed to have drawn the inspiration for Olive [Chancellor] and her fellow suffragettes from his sister Alice, who lived with another woman in a Boston marriage".