Susan
1907

A forgotten gem of early 20th-century domestic fiction, Susan examines the charged territory between mistress and maid with startling emotional honesty. When Susan, the household's devoted servant, receives a romantic letter from a man signing himself as Lord Ruddington, her employer Gertrude is thrust into an unexpected crisis of feeling. Annoyance curdles into possessiveness; protectiveness warps into something more complicated. What begins as indignation at an inappropriate social transgression gradually reveals Gertrude's own isolated heart, and her terror at losing the one person who truly knows her. As Susan navigates the treacherous waters of potential romance and social advancement, Gertrude must confront what her attachment to this woman truly means, and what she would sacrifice to keep her. Set against the routines of early-century domestic life, tea trays, mended linens, the architecture of household hierarchy, this novel transforms the quiet drama of service into a nuanced meditation on love, class, and the boundaries we draw around our hearts. For readers who crave relationship dynamics with teeth, who understand that the most devastating conflicts often happen in parlors, never raised voices.
Editions
X-Ray
“It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.””
— Unknown
“I've found that there is always some beauty left -- in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.””
— Unknown
“I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.””
— Unknown
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.””
— Unknown
“People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion.””
— Unknown
“Whoever is happy will make others happy.””
— Unknown
“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.””
— Unknown
“Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.””
— Unknown
“Women should be respected as well! Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn't women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women too as soldiers?...Women, who struggle and suffer pain to ensure the continuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together!””
— Unknown
Link to this book
Add a free, dofollow link to Lex on your blog, forum, syllabus, or reading list.
<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read Susan by Unknown free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read Susan by Unknown free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221Cite this book
Reading this edition for a paper or guide? Copy a citation.
Unknown. Susan. Lex, lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221.Unknown (1907). Susan. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221Unknown. Susan. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/susan-1ecbc0fa-f20f-4503-8abf-27bb7c3c6221.




