 
|
|
![]() |
|
The Ladies
by Doris Grumbach
| List Price: |
$14.95 |
Unavailable for
purchase at this time |
|
Hardcover
Publisher: E P Dutton Inc
"A tale told in delicate brushstrokes of a relationship in which two hearts came almost literally to beat as one."
Newsday
In the late 18th century, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby defied all conventions of their Irish homeland and eloped to Wales as a married couple.
There, over many years, they forged a romantic paradise from a simple country cottage and a few acres of land. They called it "Plas Newydd" the New Place. Their home was filled with light and love, with the pursuit of enlightenment, with exquisite expressions of their devotion. Their land contained gardens and quiet paths for walking, fruit trees and flowers and bees, sheep and chickens and cows.
Eleanor and Sarah lived in almost utter solitude. When the outside world eventually discovered them, many people journeyed to Wales out of curiosity to meet the renowned "Ladies of Llangollen." All of them came away with profound respect for their way of life, their love for each other, and their courage to be themselves.
"Understated and elegant, this slim book is a true classic on that rarest of relationships, companions of the heart."
San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle
| Customer Reviews: |
|
| |
| A Historical Novel of a Lesbian Couple in 18th Century Ireland |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
 |
|
This is a lovely historical novel about two lesbians in 18th century Ireland. They are totally devoted to one another and overcome all sorts of obstacles in order to establish themselves as a family unit on the 'Plas Newydd'. They are quite an eccentric pair. They are a classic 'masculine' (butch) and feminine couple. They entertain critics, writers, royalty, etc. in their home.
The novel hypothesizes how a cultured couple such as Eleanor and Sarah would have intermingled with respected, wealthy and knowledgeable personages of their time. They are quite secure financially and never have to contend with poverty.
The language is sedate and descriptive, evoking a clear picture of their lives without delving into the passion that is obviously one of their mainsprings. Grumbach mentions it but her style is 'literary divorcee' ' ' she is viewing their lives at a linguistic distance.
"They had learned the lessons that made living together possible: to bear each other's failings with fortitude and to freely indulge their own without guilt. They grew more and more like each other. Their faults became common to them both, their virtues a kind of mutual feast that they celebrated together". (p. 180).
This quote sounds like the description of any successful relationship that has weathered time and circumstance and still holds together strongly.
|
| The Ladies |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
|
|
This is just a sweet old fashioned love story... a lesbian love story that is. I happened upon a hardcover copy in a used bookstore. The cover looked idyllic, pastoral... two ladies dressed in riding habits, surveying the english countryside. It is a story of the enormous risks they took to be together, and the creative life of beauty that they shared until death. I loved the descriptions of their daily lives... how they passionately strove for their own peaceable kingdom. They lived in an eden of their own makng. Please read this book and be inspired by their example to create your own heaven on earth with those you love...
|
|
