The two words which come to mind when thinking about this book are 'daydreaming' and 'escaping'. Laura goes about her daily life reflecting and reminiscing. To a time before marriage and the war, to during the war, on their life today and to where they might go tomorrow. Laura is aware of her part in society and that her 'easier sort of life has come to an end.' She now has to look after their daughter, whom she dearly loves, shop, cook, wash up. These two passages show some of her feelings to her home.
'Now, said the house to Laura, we are alone together. Now I am yours again...She knew all her house's little voices as she had never done in the old days when there had been more people under her roof.'
'...my day is a feeble woman's day following a domestic chalk line, bound to the tyranny of my house with its voices saying, Clean me, polish me, save me from the spider...It is so long since I measured out a day for myself and said, This is mine, I shall be alone.'
As the story unravels the glimpse at the marriage of Laura and Stephen is touching - in the end I felt that they were right for each other. Her fondness for her daughter. At the end I had the feeling that things would be alright. They would manage. And that would because of their tight knit family unit of three.My favourite sentence in the novel is about half way through. All the strain of the war and now keeping house means Laura feels she's aged and this is summed up so beautifully when Laura describes the handsome young whom she's asking to garden for them looking at her
'He looked at her amiably, as though she was a nice sofa... She had noticed it young men looked at you as though you were a nice sofa, an article of furniture which they would never be desirous of acquiring.'
Never mind when I am old I shall wear purple. When I am old I shall be a chaise longue...
I absolutely loved this book and also read it on a wonderfully sunny day. I'd love to find more of Panter-Downes novels but mainly seem to be OP.
ReplyDeleteCan I be a garden swing?! Must track down this book - I'd never heard of Mollie Panter-Downes: from what you've written it sounds very Rosamond Lehmann.
ReplyDeleteooh yes to being a garden swing -especially in this glorious weather.
ReplyDeleteLovely description, makes me want to tread this book! I can so relate to her saying "bound to the tyranny of my house", the chores honestly never end do they?
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