Review of SMALL PLEASURES by Clare Chambers

 4 Stars

After reading and enjoying Shy Creatures, I was inspired to read another novel by this author and so chose this one.

It is set in 1957 in a suburb of London. Jean Swinney, 39, is a feature writer for a local newspaper. When a woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper claiming her 10-year-old daughter Margaret is proof of parthenogenesis in humans, Jean is sent to investigate whether Margaret is indeed a miracle child, a virgin birth, or if Gretchen’s story is fraudulent. As Jean works on the story and facilitates medical tests for mother and daughter, her life becomes intertwined with the Tilburys. Gretchen becomes a friend and Margaret, a surrogate daughter. However, it is her relationship with Howard, Gretchen’s husband, that poses problems as the two develop romantic feelings.

What I enjoy about Chambers’ books is the details. In this case, it’s the details of ordinary, everyday domestic life that stand out. Jean performs domestic chores like clearing out the larder, sewing worn sheets sides to middle and soaking old tea towels in borax. Perhaps it’s an element of nostalgia for me: I can see my mother doing those types of tasks when she was a young woman.

There’s a mystery element which certainly kept my interest. What is the truth? Gretchen, during the time of Margaret’s conception, suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis and was confined to a women’s ward in a convent-run convalescent home. Jean interviews former staff and patients and everyone vouches for Gretchen’s honesty. No one can suggest a rational explanation for her pregnancy. Because the novel is set in a period before DNA testing, Gretchen and Margaret are subjected to a series of tests like serum samples, saliva analysis, and skin grafts, and the results seem to establish a genetic match.

It is impossible not to like Jean. She lives a quiet, lonely life, taking solace in small pleasures: “the first cigarette of the day; a glass of sherry before Sunday lunch; a bar of chocolate parcelled out to last a week; a newly published library book, still pristine and untouched by other hands.” She lives with her neurotic mother who is totally dependent on her, and Jean is certainly a dutiful daughter. At work, she faces the typical problems of a female in a male-dominated profession. Approaching 40, she feels life and love have passed her by. Only after meeting Howard does she begin to feel that her prospects of happiness have not totally vanished.

Then there’s that ending. It is entirely unexpected but, unlike others who have totally disparaged it, I find that it prevents what might have been an overly sentimental resolution. And I appreciate that there is no detailed examination of the emotions resulting from the final event. On the basis of the two novels I’ve read by Clare Chambers, I will definitely be reading others from her backlist.