This unpublished autobiographical first novel, written in 1928 by the author of The Yearling
and Cross Creek, presents an illuminating look at the background and maturation of a writer who went on to pen an American classic. The first quarter of the narrative focuses on Rawlings's domineering, ambitious but spiritually empty mother, Ida, who became an overwhelming force in Marjorie's life. Ida's efforts to produce the girl of her dreams lead her to ignore her second child, a son. When Marjorie is in high school, Ida teaches her how to get dates with the most eligible young men. She's a master of stage-mother antics, which begin to backfire when Marjorie belatedly develops an emotional attachment to her father, Arthur, a school principal turned patent lawyer who frustrates Ida by spiriting his family off to a farm in Maryland. Ida's most serious setback takes place when Marjorie's overindulged ego begins to grow exponentially as she approaches college, threatening to overwhelm her budding literary talent. The constant tug of war between mother and daughter reaches its pinnacle when they pay so much attention to social climbing that poor Arthur dies of neglect from a kidney illness. The combination of two distinctly unlikable protagonists (Rawlings doesn't spare readers the uglier aspects of her behavior) and some stilted prose make this a tough read, but glimmers of Rawlings's promising future emerge in the graceful final passages when Marjorie goes off to live her own life after marrying a man her mother hates, and must come to terms with Ida's growing loneliness. Given what Rawlings went on to achieve, this seminal work constitutes a useful document for those interested in delving further into her unusual life. (Feb.)
Forecast:A strong library selection and a likely university seller, this novel has historical literary value.
