Tenterhooks - Leverson, Ada

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Résumé :
Edith and Bruce Ottley could not be called idyllically married. But a form of love persists between them, and their two precocious young children, Archie and Dilly, provide a further bond. Bruce's latest enthusiasms in their social circle are the Mitchells, whose parties are slightly risque and enormous fun, attracting all comers except the most staid. There the Ottleys meet Aylmer Ross, a handsome widowed barrister. Edith and he are drawn together irresistibly. But whilst Aylmer would like to take things further, Edith is loyal to Bruce. Their friendship, almost immediately quite intense, suffers onrushes and reverses as they grow to understand one another's limits. Then one day in Kensington Gardens Edith's world of loyalty is torn apart. She sees a couple clearly in love, hand in hand, sitting in a secluded seat. On closer examination she can't believe her eyes - one of them is Bruce! And the other is Miss Townsend, Archie and Dilly's governess! Will this deceit be enough to sway Edith and send her into Aylmer's willing embrace? What must she do ensure that everything turns out as it should? In Tenterhooks, her fourth novel, Ada Leverson rehearsed quite closely details of her own life. The decision of her husband Ernest to leave her and emigrate to Canada had been a major wrench. Exactly how nearly the plot follows reality is not known for certain but, with dash and sureness, the author delineates a sensitive and principled woman's responses to adversity, super-imposing upon them the wit and gaiety for which she was so renowned, creating a moving and entertaining portrait of a crisis in a marriage. The second of the three Ottleys novels,Tenterhooks was first published in 1912.

Sommaire:
Ada Esther Leverson was a British novelist and writer born on October 10, 1862, in Beddington, United Kingdom. She was best known for her wit and keen observations of society, which she skillfully weaved into her novels. Leverson's works often explore the complexities of love, relationships, and the social dynamics of the time. Her novels, such as Love's Shadow (1908) and Tenterhooks (1912), focus on romantic entanglements, personal dilemmas, and the intricacies of societal expectations. Her writing is marked by a light, witty tone, yet often subtly critiques the conventions of the upper classes. She was married to Ernest Leverson and was the daughter of Samuel Henry Beddington. Ada Leverson's literary career, while successful in her time, is perhaps most remembered for her contribution to the genre of the British social novel. She passed away on August 30, 1933, in Florence, Italy, at the age of 70. Despite a more subdued recognition today, her work remains appreciated for its deft portrayal of social mores and relationships during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....