The Little House

October 2, 1996
Gregory's sixth novel moves from her usual historical fiction (A Respectable Trade, etc.) to a contemporary tale that treats familiar, middle-class domestic ground with a horrific tilt. Every Sunday, Ruth and Patrick Cleary, a young English couple married just four years, visit Patrick's parents in Bath. Both Ruth and Patrick work in news production, but even in the common area of career the balance of attention tips heavily toward Patrick. Ruth feels like an outsider in the close-knit Cleary family, and Patrick and his parents are oblivious to her pain. Orphaned since childhood, Ruth has always yearned for love and a sense of belonging. In the first flush of passion, Patrick promised these; he even promised to help Ruth recover her lost childhood by traveling back to her childhood home in Boston. Snugly married and absorbed by his career, however, Patrick has lost track of his wife and his promises. When the cottage at the end of the lane from his parents' manor house comes up for sale, he sells the Bristol condo Ruth loves without a thought. Ruth soon becomes a poster-girl for co-dependence: she loses her job and unwillingly becomes pregnant. After her son is born, she sinks into depression, allowing her mother-in-law to take over completely. Finally, she is manipulated into a "rest home" where she becomes zonked on antidepressants. Hitting bottom, Ruth rallies, only to take control of her life in a joltingly twisted way. Gregory writes smoothly enough, but her insights into the dysfunctional family are only pedestrian, laying fallow ground for a surprise ending that neither horrifies nor enlightens.

October 1, 1996
Ruth Cleary is carried along on a tide of family actions that leave her living in the little house she never wanted with a baby she hadn't planned to have. As Ruth struggles with postpartum depression and unresolved feelings about the premature deaths of her own parents, her mother-in-law, Elizabeth, manipulates information and situations to take control over Ruth and her family. The character of Elizabeth and her relationship with Ruth are developed carefully, drawing the reader through a range of emotional responses to reach the inevitable conclusion that Elizabeth is waging psychological warfare on Ruth. Gregory's (Fallen Skies, HarperCollins, 1995) novel is a compelling tale of family relationships and of the horror that can ensue when the balance of power is skewed against one member. That Ruth ultimately triumphs makes this most satisfying reading. A good purchase for general fiction collections.--Caroline M. Hallsworth, Cambrian Coll., Sudbury, Ont.

October 15, 1996
In her latest novel, Gregory, author of "Fallen Skies" (1995), enters the present-day world of women juggling the responsibilities of career, motherhood, and domesticity . Ruth and Patrick Cleary are both career-minded journalists, then Ruth loses her job at the same time Patrick receives a promotion. These events, coupled with the availability of a small cottage down the street from Patrick's parents (Elizabeth and Frederick), seal their fate. Patrick is eager to start a family and sell their flat, despite Ruth's reluctance. Unfortunately, the cottage requires a great deal of work, and they live with Patrick's parents until after the birth of their baby. Elizabeth showcases her homemaking and maternal skills, and Ruth despairs over her seeming incompetence. When she is unable to take care of the cottage and her baby, because of depression, they force her to seek treatment. Although a well-crafted story, readers may be let down by the unpalatable ending after Ruth's impressive efforts to regain control of her life. ((Reviewed October 15, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)