The Pool in the Desert

I'm a man, but I much enjoyed it too! Here, we have 4 novellas (or, short stories) in a compendium, all written by a gal who was much ahead of her time (late 1800s-early 1900s) in terms of lifestyle and personal vision. Author Sara Jeannette Duncan was a very independent Canadian newpaper reporter/columnist who ultimately travelled the world with a female friend and finally settled in on marrying an Englishman who was living in India. She began to write books after that time. Sara's writings in this particular work reflect her independence (which continued throughout her marriage until she died), albeit, the stories are anything but autobiographical. The first story is about a loving, responsible, somewhat poor, English mother, living in India with her military husband, who has to give up her infant child to aunts back in England for reasons of the child's health. She only gets to see her daughter twice in 21 years before the two are ultimately, permanantly reunited. The story, of course, focuses upon her relationship (through letters mostly) with her offspring, both during the girl's youth, and on a personal level, after her daughter comes of age. The second story is about a lady and her younger female friend, and their somewhat odd relationship to a third party: a skilled English artist (who was reared in America), and who has come to live in their remote Indian village to paint. And so on.... In other words, these are very personal, (and well-written), stories about relationships. That is the point of "The Pool in the Desert," much moreso than the social environment of India. In fact, the prevailing squalor and poverty of India during that time period is practically ignored, that simply not being Duncan's focus. To summarize, if you enjoy straight fiction about mostly female relationships (nothing very risque), this one will likely work for you. A fluid read and I recommend it to appropriate readers.