Subject
Unmarried mothers -- Fiction Books
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Fannie Hurst
Lummox
"Lummox" by Fannie Hurst is a novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on Bertha, a big, working-class domestic servant in New York whose awkward speech masks a deep, lyrical inner life. Through her, the story explores class, exploitation, longing, and the clash between brute labor and refined art, particularly in her orbit around the Farley household and its poet son, Rollo. The opening of the novel follows Bertha from her rough Front Street origins and loveless upbringing under Annie Wennerberg into six grinding years as the Farleys’ cook in Gramercy Park. Quietly enraptured by beauty—music, words, fabrics—she is noticed and briefly embraced by Rollo, who later turns her into poetry while pursuing a society debutante. When Bertha becomes pregnant and cannot make him acknowledge it, she leaves, drifts back to Front Street, and endures humiliating employment searches before taking night work as a charwoman. She gives birth suddenly and, destitute, surrenders the child to a respectable couple for adoption, then resumes her precarious round of jobs—her vast, mute inner life intact amid the city’s indifference.
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Ruth
"Ruth" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a novel published in 1853. When fifteen-year-old orphan Ruth Hilton is seduced and abandoned by a wealthy gentleman, she finds herself pregnant and cast out from respectable society. Taken in by a compassionate minister and his sister, Ruth is given a new identity as a widow to protect her from scandal. As she builds a life as a governess and nurse, her past threatens to surface, forcing a reckoning with Victorian society's harsh judgment of fallen women.
Theodore Dreiser
Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel
"Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel" by Theodore Dreiser is a novel published in 1911. It follows Jennie, a destitute young woman who becomes involved with two men above her social station. First, a senator who dies before they can marry, leaving her pregnant. Then Lester Kane, a wealthy manufacturer's son who takes her as his mistress. Their relationship faces mounting pressure from his family and society's class barriers, forcing difficult choices about love, security, and sacrifice.
George Moore
Esther Waters
"Esther Waters" by George Moore is a novel published in 1894. A pious young kitchen maid from a poor family is seduced by a fellow servant and becomes pregnant. Abandoned and alone, she courageously chooses to raise her child despite the harsh judgment of Victorian society. Written in a naturalistic style, this story follows Esther's struggles through poverty, dismissals, and difficult choices as she fights to survive and protect her son in a world that condemns "fallen women."
Grazia Deledda
Cenizas
"Cenizas" by Grazia Deledda is a novel published in 1903-1904. In the Sardinian countryside, fifteen-year-old Rosalia falls for Anania, a dreamer who turns out to be married. When her father discovers her pregnancy, he casts her out. Years later, she leaves her young son at his father's door and disappears. The boy grows up with opportunities for education and love, but his illegitimate birth haunts him. As he searches for his mother to restore her honor, he risks losing everything he's built.
E. Temple (Ernest Temple) Thurston
The Green Bough
"The Green Bough" by E. Temple Thurston is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around Mary Throgmorton, a woman portrayed as a figure of both duty and sacrifice, whose quiet existence in the quaint Devon village of Bridnorth unfolds against the backdrop of societal expectations of women during this period. The narrative explores themes of love, longing, and the constraints placed on women, shining a spotlight on Mary's inner conflict and desire for something deeper beyond her domestic life. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Mary and her three sisters, who each exhibit various responses to their roles as women in a confined society. Mary, in particular, stands out as she grapples with her sense of identity and purpose, frequently longing for a life filled with more excitement and meaning. The opening passages reflect on the weight of social conventions that bind women, using metaphorical imagery to describe Mary as a "monument" of tragic nobility set apart from the others. Through the dynamics of the Throgmorton family, the story sets the stage for Mary’s journey toward self-discovery and the awakening of her desires, hinting at the transformative events that her encounter with the outside world—and possibly a new romantic connection—may bring.
Grazia Deledda
Ashes (Cenere): A Sardinian Story
"Ashes (Cenere): A Sardinian Story" by Grazia Deledda is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story is set in Sardinia and explores themes of love, betrayal, and social constraints through the eyes of a young girl named Olì. At the heart of the narrative is Olì's passionate relationship with a farm-laborer named Anania, complicated by his deception regarding his marital status, leading to significant turmoil in her life. The opening of the novel introduces us to Olì on Midsummer Eve, as she collects flowers for a ritual to bind love. At just fifteen, she is depicted as a beautiful, exotic girl, caught in the thrill of young love with Anania, a charming yet dishonest young man. The narrative hints at the development of their secret and intense romance, which carries with it the weight of societal judgment and familial expectations. Olì's father, aware of the budding relationship, harshly warns her about Anania's true identity, foreshadowing the chaos that will ensue in Olì's life as she grapples with love, abandonment, and the yearning for a better future. The vivid descriptions of the Sardinian landscape and the tension between tradition and desire set a poignant tone for this tale of youthful passion and the harsh realities of life.
George Moore
The Lake
"The Lake" by George Moore is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story is centered on Father Oliver Gogarty, a priest reflecting on his life, vocation, and connection to the landscape surrounding a lake in Ireland. Through his walk along the shore, he grapples with memories of family, lost love, and his responsibilities as a servant of the Church, entwined with the picturesque yet melancholic scenery of his home. At the start of the novel, we find Father Oliver navigating a beautiful yet introspective day at the lake, seeking solace and escape from his parish duties. His thoughts drift to memories of his childhood, particularly concerning his sister, Eliza, and the choices that have shaped his path. As he wanders, he considers his growing discontent with monotony and hints at a desire for adventure. He recalls the presence of Nora Glynn, a former schoolmistress, and the impact of her absence on his life, which reveals deeper themes of loss, regret, and the burdens of expectation he carries as a priest. Father Oliver's reflections set the stage for a rich exploration of emotion and the search for meaning in both personal and spiritual domains.
Marika Stiernstedt
Fröken Liwin
"Fröken Liwin" by Marika Stiernstedt is a novel published in 1925. When a young upper-middle-class woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she flees to Stockholm to hide her shame. She gives up her child, expecting relief, but instead finds herself haunted by guilt and longing. Fifteen years later, she reclaims her daughter, only to discover that legal motherhood cannot undo years of absence. The novel examines a society that punishes women for circumstances beyond their control.
Marika Stiernstedt
Neiti Liwin : $b Romaani
"Neiti Liwin : Romaani" by Marika Stiernstedt is a novel written in the early 20th century. It follows Miss Elma Liwin, a capable yet solitary woman in Stockholm whose outwardly respectable charity work hides a painful secret and a raw vulnerability to social judgment. After a humiliating slight from the admired Alexandra Pasch, Elma’s conflicts with respectability, desire, and independence come into focus. The story delves into hidden emotional dramas and the uneasy boundary between benevolence, hypocrisy, and longing. The opening of the novel presents life as a set of silent dramas before dropping into a charity board meeting where Elma demands an explanation from Mrs. Pasch for calling her a “spinster,” then abruptly resigns. On her walk home through Humlegården, spring stirs memories of a youthful affair with a bandleader, an unwanted pregnancy, his rejection, a secret birth aided by a midwife, and the immediate surrender of her newborn—events that hardened her pride. In the present she lives with the breezy physiotherapist Rick Brunjohann; Mrs. Pasch’s expensive flowers and bland apology only sharpen Elma’s self-scrutiny. The scene then shifts to Tilda, a lively schoolgirl who finds a pearl cross in the park and returns it to Mrs. Pasch, meeting her son Alexis and hinting at new threads tying these lives together.
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