Small Pleasures

 

I recently read The Editor's Wife by Clare Chambers and liked her writing style although I thought the ending was a bit frantic. Other readers have mentioned that they preferred Small Pleasures so I decided to tackle it. The 1950s time period in England is one that I like to read about and the story looked intriguing. A reporter for a local newspaper is approached by a woman claiming to have experienced a virgin birth and is willing to undergo medical tests that she hopes will prove her claim. (It may sound farfetched but in 1955 The Sunday Pictorial newspaper, prompted by current genetic research, actually ran a competition to find a virgin mother.) Jean Swinton, the reporter, is a 39-year-old single woman who lives a dreary existence with her elderly unpleasant mother. Jean decides to cover the story and, over a number of weeks, falls into a social relationship with the virgin mum, Gretchen, her 10-year-old daughter, Margaret, and her husband, Howard. Jean has felt the strain of caring for her cranky mother and finds it pleasant spending time with a welcoming family. She fancies being a surrogate aunt to little Margaret and the two get on famously. Jean is also inclined to believe Gretchen's story, especially after blood tests do not disprove it. Well into the book the story takes an unexpected turn, secrets are revealed and lives become complicated. The characters, even minor ones, are well developed, the dialogue is believable, the pacing is good, I was drawn into the story. It was a good read with a surprise ending.