Today it's my turn on the Blog Blitz The Awakening of Claudia Faraday by Patsy Trench.
Patsy Trench lives a quiet and largely respectable life in north London. Claudia’s story shows a side of her normally shy and reserved nature that is little known, even to her friends and acquaintances. Her previous books, about her family’s history in Australia, are entertaining and informative accounts of that country’s early colonial beginnings. She began writing late, and in a previous life she was an actress, scriptwriter, playscout, founder of The Children’s Musical Theatre of London and lyricist.
When not writing books she emerges from her shell to teach theatre and organise theatre trips for overseas students. She is the grateful mother of two clever and grown-up children, and she is addicted to rag rugging and, when current circumstances permit, fossicking on the Thames foreshore for ancient treasure.
About the book
‘It got better, in time, though to be truthful it always felt more of a duty than a pleasure: a little like homework, satisfying when over, and done well, but never exactly enjoyable. But then nobody had ever suggested it could be otherwise.’
This was the view of Claudia Faraday, 1920s respectable wife and mother of three, on the subject of sex. That is until an unexpected turn of events shakes her out of her torpor and propels her back into the world revitalised and reawakened, where she discovers, as Marie Stopes might have said: Approached in the right way, even homework can be fun.
I think this goes far beyond Lady Chatterley discovering passion and experiencing a lust that leads her from temptation to brave and relentless discovery. Claudia is a middle-aged woman, neglected by her husband, her motherly nest empty, with seemingly no other purpose than to just...be.
An accidental encounter opens her eyes to so many experiences she has been missing. Awakens the need for more, both self-exploration of her sexuality and the exploration of her sexuality by others. A flower who has finally blossomed and been introduced to a world of pleasure. This is her journey - this is her awakening.
It was interesting how the self-doubt that is piled upon women, especially those of a mature age, was woven into this story. Claudia spends so much time looking for the next thrill and waiting in anticipation of finding and experiencing more, that she completely overlooks the fact she is a desirable woman to whom one should expect sexual partners to flock.
It is almost hammered into women daily that age equals not being attractive or desirable to anyone. In fact this probably helps to speed along the process of aging - the thought of going from a woman who is noticed and appraised to a woman is glanced over and dismissed.
Trench combines the charm of the early 20th century with a facet of womanhood that hasn't really changed that much at all. We put the pleasure of others before our own, because society tends to deem it be correct that way. And goodness gracious me if one does endeavour to discover and enjoy pleasure, and demand it no less - well I never, what would people say?
Buy The Awakening Of Claudia Faraday at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Prefab Publications; pub date 16 Aug. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.
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