There’s nothing like the feeling of stumbling upon a book that you love. And that satisfaction is somehow multiplied tenfold if it’s a writer others are yet to discover. Lockdown is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with these underrated novels, some of which were celebrated during their own time but have largely been forgotten by today’s readers:
The Rector’s Daughter by F. M. Mayor
The Rector’s Daughter by F. M. Mayor, first published in 1924, explores the life of Mary Jocelyn, a 35-year-old unmarried woman who lives with her father and invalid sister, who sadly dies. Shy and alone, with ‘the weight of the family’ on her, Mary finds brief happiness when she falls in love, but it is not to be. Her desperate need to take control of her life is obvious. She just needs to discover how to go about it. Throughout the book, characters struggle to express themselves, and awkward silences and loud thoughts abound.
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