Unleavened Bread

by Robert Grant

"Unleavened Bread" by Robert Grant is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around Selma White, a young schoolteacher navigating her path in a rapidly changing American society, following her marriage to Lewis Babcock, a varnish manufacturer. The narrative explores themes of personal development, ambition, and the evolving role of women during a time of social transformation. The opening of the novel introduces Selma and Babcock as they depart from a wedding, setting the stage for their developing relationship. Selma reflects on her previous life and the constraints she feels from her small-town upbringing and societal expectations, contrasting her aspirations of achieving something greater in a burgeoning city like Benham. Babcock, on the other hand, is portrayed as a devoted husband who yearns for Selma's affection while harboring dreams of a prosperous future. Their early interactions signal Selma's ambivalence toward traditional domestic roles and foreshadow the complexities of her character as she grapples with her desires for independence and influence in a changing world.