Helene by Mrs Arthur Kennard (1883)

This is a novel of some contradictions. Many elements of it are standard for their time - it's a story of love, set in society in London and in great houses in the country. The heroine is beautiful and a little unaware of it, and her humility leads her into allowing a love to develop that her wariness would otherwise have prohibited. But there are more unusual elements here: the heroine is a French Catholic who adheres quite strongly to her faith; she is very badly off, and has to work as a reciter to get by. There are also some infelicities of style here: there is a sense of unevenness whereby some parts read a little flatly, whereas some are quite intense and fascinating. There is also a sense that Kennard intended that the society surrounding the main couple would be, at least in part, a comic chorus, and more urbanely portrayed. She doesn't quite set this adequately firmly in place; there are moments where it jars. With its sad final scenes set in the wilds of 1870s Canada and in the countryside surrounding a French convent, this slightly unusual piece is satisfying in much that it attempts. Kennard's career was slight - only four main pieces of fiction - I look forward to the others to see if she can iron out these rough spots.