Middle-aged Jane is excited about moving to a small village where her husband has been appointed vicar but once there she realizes that it’s not as idyllic a setting as she had hoped for. There are petty differences with the villagers and she realizes that she may not be a stellar vicar’s wife after all.
But when Jane meets Fabian, a handsome widower, she decides to be a bit like Emma Woodhouse and embarks on a plan to do some matchmaking between Fabian and her friend, Prudence. Fabian’s character isn’t all that sterling but after all, Prudence is on the verge of becoming a spinster.
Prudence is 29, and may be a career girl working in London but when will she settle down? Jane doesn’t want to see Prudence suffer yet another failed relationship, and she doesn’t think that Prudence’s affection for her married boss will pan out so she cajoles Prudence into a visit so she can meet Fabian.
Barbara Pym takes the reader into a quaint world with characters leading fairly ordinary lives but manages to make them engaging. Jane may worry about Prudence’s marital status yet bemoans marriage at times. She ponders what happened to the early days of her marriage. “There came a day when one didn’t quote poetry to one’s husband any more. When had that day been? Could she have noted it and mourned it if she had been more observant?”
Similarly, Prudence has many thoughts on what married friends expect of single friends but best of all is her path to self discovery, married or not. Barbara Pym’s pointed observations are shown time and again. This is a thoughtful novel but with a good dose of some comedy as well. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Additional Resources:
Barbara Pym Society
Added 05/07