The Moonlight

By Joyce Cary

An ambitious and insightful novel that describes the changing natures of women’s roles, lives and attitudes in the early twentieth century.

The hatred between the sisters had a very long history; almost as long as their devotion.

Rose is a frail but wilful spinster who, in an act of self-sacrifice following her mother’s death, becomes the family matriarch and self-appointed guardian of morality. Her death triggers painful memories for her younger sister Ella, memories that force her to confront the tragic consequences of a family’s guilt, relentless martyrdom and denial of romantic love.

Ella’s niece Amanda is struggling with her feminine identity, pressurised by the demands of two seemingly eligible suitors. Protective instincts prompt Ella to guide her. But Ella’s sanity is waning and, as she attempts to make good, she invites history to repeat itself …

The Moonlight is bound to please Cary’s many admirers, as well as anyone with an interest in women’s studies or the social history of the twentieth century.