I guess I can say I’ve been theme reading lately with no plan to do so. By this I mean that I’ve been accidentally reading books with something unusual in common within weeks of each other. For example, I never read any books set in Sri Lanka (except one historical romance I read several years ago), yet within weeks I ended up reading two literary novels set there, one in the 80s and one more recently. Similarly, last summer I read two books set in Madagascar. Now, who would think that there were two books about an imaginary person who comes to life? Yet, a few weeks ago I reviewed Miss Hargreaves for the 1940 Club, and here is another novel on the same subject.
The Love Child is a different kettle of fish from Miss Hargreaves, though. The latter is an amusing romp, while the former looks more seriously at the fate of women in post-World War I England, where there was a surplus of them by nearly two million.
With the death of her mother, Agatha Bodenham (considered middle aged at 32) finds herself unexpectedly lonely. She and her mother have been very reserved and have not engaged in society, so she has no friends.
She remembers having an imaginary friend when she was a girl, a friend named Clarissa whom she romped with until her mother told her she was too old for such things. She begins by remembering the games she played with Clarissa, and eventually Clarissa reappears as an 11-year-old girl. Clarissa is a graceful, delicate girl, completely Agatha’s opposite. Agatha plays make-believe games with her and enjoys herself. But slowly Clarissa becomes visible to others.
When called upon to account for Clarissa’s existence, Agatha is confused and says she is her “love child.” No one believes this, but everyone assumes Clarissa is some relative.
Problems begin, though, when Clarissa starts to have a mind of her own.
This novel is quite a sad story, maybe, depending on how you understand the ending. It rests on then-current beliefs about how the lack of motherhood might affect women (it was published in 1927) and in the fate of unmarried women. I found it sometimes flagging for me but was interested to see how it ended.
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for a free and fair review.
What? Me Read? 
Oh this sounds really sad.
In a way, yes.
Sounds strange and a bit disturbing. It must have been very difficult for all those “surplus women” back when there weren’t even many interesting alternatives to marriage and motherhood.
I would think so.
Did you know I call that Book Serendipity? (I have one of those posts coming up tomorrow.)
Oh, yes, now I recall you having posts about that. That’s a nice term.
(Delayed until next week now. But coming up soon!)
Aha – but this and Miss Hargreaves are both favourites of Simon Stuck-in-a-Book … I did find this one really sad, too, but so well done.
Yes.