Resumo de The Rector's Wife

Anna Bouverie is the wife of the rector of Loxford village parish. At the opening of the novel, she is picking up her daughter, Flora, from the school bus. Flora is very unhappy at her school but although Anna would love to send her to a more expensive school, the wages of a parish priest just do not allow for this. Furthermore, her son, Luke, wants driving lessons and to save up enough to go to India.

To supplement their income, Anna has been doing some translating work at home. It is not something she enjoys, but the small parish ideas about what is appropriate for a vicar?s wife to do prevents her from doing any work that is more public.

All their hopes rest on Peter Bouverie?s being promoted to Archdeacon. But the family are devastated when the promotion goes to the newcomer, Danial Byrne. Peter feels unable to discuss his feelings, and the marriage begins to deteriorate. Anna finds that, far from resenting the new Archdeacon, she finds him to be an extremely understanding man, unlike many of the people in her husband?s parish.

Feeling increasingly stifled and unable to help her children or Peter, Anna takes a step that will shock her neighbours and alienate her husband even more. She takes a job as a shelf packer at a supermarket in the nearby town. Seen as an act of defiance and anger by the neighbourhood, Anna feels a growing sense that her life is not her own.

Things get more complicated when their new neighbour, Patrick O?Sullivan, finds himself deeply attracted to Anna. Anna strongly rejects him ? but is herself attracted to the new Archdeacon?s brother, Johnathan.

Flora is now going to a new school, and is very happy, while Luke earns money working for Patrick. However, when Peter Bouverie discovers that Flora received a free scholarship to the school ? and it is not being paid for by Anna?s job ? he steps in and takes control, ending Anna?s job. Furious, Anna begins to think about leaving.

However, the rumours are spreading that Anna and Patrick are having an affair, and when a neighbour divulges this information to Peter, there are tragic results. Anna now finds that she has the freedom to be the person that she has never been allowed to be before?.

This is one of Joanna Trollope?s best. Her ability to create a feeling of every day reality is paramount, particularly the little day-to-day interactions between families. She creates the character of Anna with enormous sensitivity and understanding of a woman who is being stifled by the needs and expectations of others.

Resumos Relacionados