As the LT Virago group continue ‘reading the 1940s’ our March theme is women – which saw me reading Liana by Martha Gellhorn earlier this month. My second book for this month’s theme was The Persimmon Tree and other stories, a book taking me to Australia. In these stories Marjorie Barnard explores the experience of women, the bonds between them and the relationships they have with men. This VMC edition includes three additional stories originally not included when the collection was first published in 1943.
Marjorie Barnard established a writing partnership with Flora Eldershaw with whom she produced both novels and works of criticism. They published under the name M Barnard Eldershaw for almost twenty years. Marjorie Barnard’s only successful solo work was The Persimmon Tree and other stories.
Other themes in these beautifully observed stories include rivalry between women, illicit love, new relationships and those gone sour. Women who must face up to loneliness or a changing world, women who manipulate their men to their ways, and others who turn a blind eye to the ways of their men. A couple grieve their youngest child at Christmas, a man hears about his wife’s lottery win with surprise but no idea of what she might really have in mind for her winnings. A woman goes to buy a hat at her children’s insistence another tries to get over a love affair.
“‘I am like a young girl in love,’ she reproached herself. ‘I have no right to this.’ She told herself bitterly ‘I am old enough to know better.’ She was swept with nostalgia for youth when at least love was not ridiculous, when one had a right to grief, even to a broken heart. She told herself, driving in the statements like nails; ‘I am nearly forty, I am a widow, everything is over.”
(The Woman who Did the Right Thing)
Despite being a fairly slim book – less than 200 pages – there are twenty stories here, some really very short – too many to discuss in detail here. I can attempt to give only a flavour by picking out a few that stand out.
The Arrow of Mistletoe is the story that opens the collection. Lisca Munro is married to a very successful business man. Her love is blind, and Lisca seems totally unaware of her husband’s ways of doing business. He has arranged a huge, expensive dinner party – that Lisca is dimly aware they can’t afford – in order to ensnare another man of business for one of his schemes.
The title story The Persimmon Tree is a short subtle story – in which a woman recovering from an illness, takes a new flat. She watches the flats opposite, the street outside and the shadow of the tree on her wall. In this way the woman comes face to face with her own loneliness – and it is quite exquisitely rendered.
“Persimmons belong to autumn and this was spring. I went to the window to look again. Yes, they were there, they were real. I had not imagined them, autumn fruit warming to a ripe transparency in the spring sunshine. They must have come, expensively packed in sawdust, from California or have lain all winter in storage. Fruit out of season.”
(The Persimmon Tree)
In The Bride Elect a delicate young city woman is adapting to life on a sheep farm as she prepares to marry her Jim. Myra loves the landscape she sees all around her, but she is unused to the life of the farm – and Myra knows that her fiancé’s sister doesn’t think she is a suitable wife. Myra is confident of Jim’s adoration – but when his attention is momentarily turned in another direction, she needs to turn him back to her. It is a brilliant story of sly feminine manipulation.
The setting of Beauty is Strength is a beauty salon, where Ida Berrington comes to have the waves put back into her hair. Here, under the observation of the young women who see all their clients as they truly are, Mrs Berrington reflects on her life and her marriage in particular. Plans forming in her mind.
“The shreds of evidence were working like splinters in her brain. There was the letter addressed to Ced lying on the table with the other mail when she came in yesterday afternoon. She recognised Viola’s handwriting at once, large eager, rather unformed. It didn’t surprise her much, for Viola was in constant need of expression. She was for ever telephoning her friends about some new enthusiasm, writing little notes, copying sentiments that pleased her, out of the novels that she read into arty leather note books. But this wasn’t a little note. It was bulky; even in Viola’s sprawling script, a long letter. She had weighed it speculatively and put it by with an open mind. She wasn’t, she often told people – particularly Ced – a jealous wife, nor would she be but for the possessive streak as strong in her as instinct in an animal.”
(Beauty is Strength)
In The New Dress a young woman is enchanted by the new dress she has bought for what she sees as an important day out with her boyfriend – a day which will culminate in tea with his aunt. The dress has taken weeks of sacrifice to buy – and too much importance is put on to it. The day is blighted by the dress – which must be kept clean, not spoiled – so of course, it is the day itself that is ruined.
Only one story is set outside Australia – Fighting in Vienna. Kathie lives alone with her canary – and worried about getting seed for her dear little feathered friend she ventures out, persuaded that it will be safe as there hasn’t been any firing since the day before. However, as she crosses the square on the way to the shop firing does break out and Kathie is caught up in it. Lying in hospital Kathie reflects on another war and a young man she loved. The canary is left waiting in vain for her return, quite different to other stories in this collection, it’s a beautiful, deeply poignant story.
Marjorie Barnard’s stories depict many aspects of women’s lives, and by extension the lives of their men. They are gorgeous, beautifully written, very definitely my kind of stories. Written precisely and sparely – they frequently portray a world where appearances are too often the most important thing.
Once again, you introduce me to a *new* writer who sounds right up my street. I particularly like the sound of The Bride Elect – the dynamic with Jim’s sister reminds me a little of one of Maeve Brennan’s best stories, The Springs of Affection. Rivalry between women can be a terrible thing…
I think you would enjoy this collection, I really want to read Maeve Brennan too.
I’m fascinated by the ida of a writing partnership. I wonder how it worked, particularly with novels. The Persimon Tree quote is so evocative, particularly given that it was written at a time of wartime austerity.
Yes, I never can work out how a writing partnership works, who does what? Yes, I wondered about wartime austerity too, but I wasn’t sure if Australia experienced it in the same way as the UK.
Easier to understand with short stories although perhaps even they aren’t aportioned quite in the way we might expect.
I could have understood it if this collection was written with her writing partner because as you say stories might be easier. Writing novels with someone else must involve a particular way of working.
Great review, Ali! I happen to own a copy of this book, and I am now inspired to read it for the Australian Women Writers Challenge 🙂
I had forgotten about the Australian women writers challenge, not sure if there is an actual date for it. So many reading challenges it’s hard to remember them all.
How lovely, and what a wonderful collection. The setting sounds marvellous and you’ve made me very glad I have this on the shelves!
Yes a marvellous collection. We all have so many green books waiting for us to get to them don’t we?
This book has been on my shelves for years, so I am very surprised to learn that there are TWENTY stories in that skinny little volume. Phew. Glad to hear that it’s been such a pleasure.
I was surprised how many there were too. Thankfully although often very short, they are still satisfying, the mark of a gifted writer.
I like the sound of this, Ali, and am intrigued by how the writing partnership worked. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve shared your review with my Australian Reads group.
I am intrigued too. Virago published one of the books the two women wrote together as M Barnard Eldershaw – it’s a futuristic story called Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I looked it up and am even more intrigued.
This does sound a delicate and beautifully done collection: well done for bringing it to people’s attention.
Yes, a really lovely collection.