Yvonne“No, indeed. Better it would be if she got herself well and fit before coming back to all that work.” She paused, eyeing the young man as she, too, got to her feet. “And then think how clumsy Ella’s been this last year. Black eyes, split lips … well, if she’s on crutches God above knows how she might injure herself. Better that she goes and stays with her sister until she’s fit to … take care of herself. See?”
Glyn, leaving the house with a grateful smile on his lips and murder in his heart, saw only too well. Mrs Dafydd thought it was he who was responsible for those black eyes and bruised arms. If the truth were known it was Ella, and no one else. They had been married six years, yet Ella had born him no child, and people were talking! She’d had fine sons by Ben, yet by him she had not quickened once. His mother told him that folk were even doubting that he had fathered Jessica. They said that for all his talk Glyn Pritchard could not give a woman a child, not even a fine woman like Ella. Of course it was all Ella’s fault. She must know some way of preventing herself from quickening, for God knew he made love to her on every conceivable occasion. And, being older than he, perhaps she denied him the male dominance which had brought her to bed of four sons when she and Ben were married.
She was always so certain of herself that he had rather enjoyed the new wariness which crept into her voice and movements. It was proving who was the dominant partner, he told himself; she might be five years the elder but she was no match for him physically. Yet still there was no sign of a child. And now he had given her a little tap, and she was in the infirmary and Mrs Dafydd was going on as if he were a secret wife-beater when he was no such thing! Damn it all, a man had to be master in his own house – especially when the woman was older.
Clicking on the book’s cover image will link you directly to its Amazon affiliate page.
Check out those all important “First Lines”, … Would they make you want to read on?
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by … Ambrosia @ ‘The Purple Booker‘
Anyone can take part, by just doing the following:
Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
- Share a couple of “teaser” sentences, from somewhere on that page.
- Be careful not to share “spoiler” sentences.
- Remember to share the title and author too.
- Head on over to ‘The Purple Booker’ and leave a link to your post, so that others can share it and you can share other people’s.
It would be great if you then decided to leave a comment for Ambrosia, as we all like to receive them and are interested in sharing your thoughts.
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I clicked on the cover to learn more about this novel and it took me to a US Amazon page for children’s clothing by the brand name “family feeling”! Typing in the title and author’s name brought up an out-of-print book from 1987 which didn’t sound much like what you’ve shared in your posts. Odd.
I’m not sure it’s one that really interests me, but it does have me a bit curious about Ella and Glyn’s relationship…. and what became of Ben.
Hi Kelly,
Curious!
When I click on the cover it takes me straight to the Amazon.co.uk link, as my posts generally do.
Amazon.com also allows me to type in the name and book title and links to the download page for the book.
We never seem to have had this problem before, so I can’t think what’s going on! Yes, the book was originally quite an old print, but it is still very much listed and available to buy as a reprint and download!
The story is set in a Welsh mining community of the early 1900s and for me is as much a great piece of social history, as the romance it is billed as. The ‘teaser’ lines indicate all too well the expected place of most women of the time and the treatment they were expected to take from their husbands, who ruled most homes with a rod and often, fist of iron. Behaviour which would not be accepted in today’s modern society.
I am beginning to suspect that Ella may not be your typical pit wife however, but I need to read on further to discover how she deals with the situation.
Enjoy your week
Interesting to read about abuse from the abuser’s point of view. I’d like to read this.
My Tuesday post features Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die.
Hi Sandra,
I’m guessing that this kind of behaviour was pretty much the norm back in the early 1900s, which is the timeframe for this story.
I don’t think that Glyn even realises that his actions are basically what we would today class as abuse. For him, it is simply a way of letting his wife know that he is the man of the house and that there are certain expectations made of them as a couple by their peers. He cannot allow them to lose face with their friends and neighbours, but mainly with his fellow pitmen, who obviously treat him as a lesser man because he has no children.
‘Kiss The Girls And Make Them Die’ is an intriguing title and I shall be stopping by shortly to share your teaser lines 🙂
I have a feeling this book would make me pretty mad, but the teaser sure has me curious anyway. Thank you for sharing!
My Teaser is from: Seeds of Eden by A.P. Watson
Hi Gabby,
Thanks for stopping by today. I enjoy ‘meeting’ new people, so your comments and visits will always be welcome.
I wonder why it is, that bad (as in language and context) teaser lines tend to attract more attention, no matter what the genre of book!
Storylines like this do tend to make me angry as well, however male dominance in the family home was simply a foregone conclusion during the time period in which the book is set. The working classes tended to use their fists inflicting physical abuse, whilst the middle and upper classes generally waged a war founded on mental abuse, one definitely being as bad as the other in my book.
Thanks for sharing the amazing cover art for ‘Seeds Of Eden’, although it probably isn’t a book for me.
‘Happy Reading’ 🙂
The whole domestic abuse angle bothers me a bit too much to be able to read it myself. Glyn needs to be in prison for the little ‘love taps’.
Hi Naida,
As much as I agree with your sentiments, social history records a multitude of such domestic abuse incidents across so many walks of life, although back in the day the term hadn’t been coined and men felt it to be their right to administer corrective punishment, whilst women were resigned to the treatment, almost accepting that they had deserved it in some way.
In some ways attitudes have moved on and changed in modern day society, with women both knowing and exercising their right to be treated with respect and dignity. However I have no doubt that there are still a great many relationships and households, where time has stood still and women still need to be reached out to, so that they at least know the choices and options available to them.
I do admit that I enjoy a good family saga!
Have a good week 🙂