Conditions of Faith by Alex Miller

Conditions of Faith

Alex Miller

Filled with atmospheric descriptions of Australian, French and Tunisian scenery, this novel tells the story of a young woman torn between the traditional female roles of wife, lover and mother, and her desire to follow the life of the mind. It takes a while to get into, but it then turns out to be a highly entertaining, unpredictable and thought-provoking read.

Extract
On the inside of the wardrobe door was a long dressing mirror. She slipped the silk chemise over her head and tossed it onto the bed beside her dress. Naked, she stood side-on to the mirror and examined her profile. There was a definite rounding of her lower belly.
"You are a pregnant woman, Emily Stanton," she said, as if her own fate were detached from the fate of the woman in the mirror.
Parallels
  • Persuasion by Jane Austen
  • Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler