Share this
A Life of Her Own
By Ellen Feldman
Published by Pan Macmillan Australia
ISBN 9781761268571
Set In the late 1940s - early 1950s in New York, this poignant story about a young woman and her little girl making their way in the world after the Second World War is both heart-rendering and heartwarming.
As the Second World War ends and husbands, sons, brothers are welcomed home to those fortunate families, Fanny (short for Florence) Fabricant is over the moon with happiness when her husband Max returns to her and their young daughter Chloe. Now, at last they can begin to build a life together.
They move into their new house and while still making plans for the future, all these change in an instant when Max suddenly falls ill, possibly from the effects of the War. Fanny becomes known as 'Poor Fanny' the widow with a daughter. The 'poor' title doesn't relate to money, it is the way in which people expressed their view and sympathy for her new and unexpected marital status. This is so well portrayed I wanted to reach in tell Fanny things will work out.
Brought up to be a 'nice girl' Fanny is totally unprepared for this situation, not only the sudden loss of her husband, but now unable to continue the role of a traditional stay at home wife and mother. After taking sometime to mourn and grieve with the help and support of her aunts and close friends she eventually sells their family home and moves into an apartment in New York and she needs find work.
Although she went to College and has a degree, she is unprepared for work and has no idea of what she can do, but she realises she must provide for her daughter and herself. Landing a job as secretary for a company that produces day time radio serials (the word soaps are frowned upon) she falls into her niche. Over the following few months she gains more confidence and is finally in control of her own destiny.
Fanny is most definitely not interested in anyone else, Max was her one true love. Despite the urging of her aunts and friends because they say she must find another husband. Later, two very different situations develop with her heart saying one thing, but her head telling her another. She wants stability, a comfortable and happy life for herself and Chloe which she can have with Ezra Rappaport, a paediatrician, but she is also tempted by the thrill and excitement around Charlie Berlin.
Charlie is one of the scriptwriters, actually the leading scriptwriter, who also finds himself in trouble with the authorities during the McCarthy era. When he is blacklisted an interesting opportunity arises for Fanny, but not without its risks. Her friend Ava, one of the day time serial actors is also under suspicion and Fanny faces a nerve-wracking grilling by two officials about their friendship.
Weaving in the references to the McCarthy era in America is interesting reading, especially the black listing of people for something as trivial as a magazine purchased or a children's picture book considered to be subversive.
Although the American style of language can be quite irksome at first, this is a beautifuly written story that shows the social expectations for women, especially single or widowed women during this era. It is a good page turner, entertaining with a good twist at the end.
The author
Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is an American author, including the novels The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), Paris Never Leaves You and Return to Berlin. Her work has been translated into thirteen languages. Ellen grew up in northern New Jersey, USA, and holds a BA and MA in modern history. After further graduate studies at Columbia University, she worked for a New York publishing house.
This is independent review, I am not paid by the publishers, so If you Liked this review - Buy me a coffee
