After the Rain by Susan E Jones
Genre: Historical fiction
Read: 9th April 2023
Published: 18th January 2023
DESCRIPTION:
It is the late summer of 1910 and Bessie Hardwicke, thirty-nine years old and single, has just started work as a lady’s companion to widowed Fanny Grist in London. The change is momentous for Bessie and she constantly questions whether the move was a big mistake. Life in London is so different from what she’s been used to and she desperately misses her dear nephew Walter, whom she looks upon as a son.
There is no denying that she is badly in need of a change. Even after twenty years, she is still grieving the loss of her fiancé Arthur and beloved sister Ethel. But she is not alone in her grief. Those she comes into contact with in London are no less afflicted by the loss of loved ones than she is. And through her compassion and selflessness, Bessie bestows on others the priceless gift of irrepressible hope.
EXTRACT:
I feel a bit apprehensive when we are dropped off next to a high fortress-like wall, behind which is the tall Gothic building of the orphanage. I’m keen for our meeting with Harriet to yield a positive result, yet the austere surroundings fill me with dread. Robert, however, observes with approval the Benedictine convent on the other side of the road, which he believes enforces the notion of the children’s home as a sanctuary. But for me, there’s an unnerving stillness surrounding both buildings, giving me the disturbing sense that they deter visitors from entering their interiors rather than welcome them.
As we approach the heavy wooden door that looks as if its sole purpose is to shut out the world and all its prying eyes, Robert tells me that, as well as running an orphanage, the sisters also provide a home for the old and infirm. He says he’s made a few local enquiries and discovered that the sisters make it their lives’ work to look after the needy, both young and old, and that there are presently about 250 children being cared for, as well as more than 200 elderly residents. It is not for me to judge, and it’s not in my nature to be so cynical, but instinct tells me that the care they provide may be spread a little too thinly if Robert’s numbers are correct.
The cast iron doorknocker looks almost too heavy to lift, but Robert succeeds in raising it just enough for a couple of knocks and we wait patiently for someone to arrive. Finally, we hear shuffling steps from within and an elderly sister with wire-rimmed spectacles opens the door a few inches and peers through the gap.
“Who are you and what is your business here?” she asks in a voice that sounds accusatory. But Robert is unfazed and quickly states our purpose, saying that Sister Martha has told us we’re allowed to visit. When he shows her the letter, she opens the gate a few more inches.
“But it’s Sunday,” she says. “This is our day of prayer and visitors are not usually permitted. Sister Martha should not have told you to come on a Sunday. She doesn’t yet know the rules – she’s new to the sisterhood.”
“I’m sorry,” Robert says. “But we’re here now and we’ve travelled some distance. If it’s not too much trouble, could we please meet with Miss Turnbull? I promise we won’t keep her long.”
“It’s really most irregular, but since you’re here you might as well come in. Let me first introduce myself. I’m Sister Agatha and I attend mainly to the older residents. Please wait in the entrance hall and I’ll have one of the other sisters find the child you’ve come to see. You say her name is Turnbull, correct? What is her age?”
“Yes, Miss Harriet Turnbull,” Robert confirms. “She’s thirteen or thereabouts.”
Sister Agatha nods and we follow her inside the orphanage. She points to two hardback chairs placed against the wall underneath a heavy wooden cross, and instructs us to sit and wait. I have a feeling it may be some time before Harriet is found. It’s cold in the hall and I’m glad I’m wearing my warm cloak. Robert, bless him, sees me rubbing my hands together and makes a joke about the need for Roman Catholics to suffer before they’re welcomed into the heavenly afterlife. Suffering improves our souls, he says, and makes us worthy of God’s acceptance. So the longer we sit here in the cold, the better it is for us in the long run.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Susan E Jones grew up in Stroud in Gloucestershire but was always keen to travel and embrace new experiences. For many years she lived and worked abroad – in Brussels, Rome, Abidjan and Washington DC – working mostly with international organisations in various roles ranging from editing to budget preparation.
When she finally decided it was time for me to return to the UK, Susan chose Penzance in Cornwall as her home, devoting most of her free time to writing - which had long been her ambition. Long daily walks along the South West Coastal Path give her both a sense of wellbeing and an opportunity to think about ideas for my next novel.
After the Rain is the first purely fictional novel she has written. It was inspired by the contents of her great-great aunt’s postcard album, which somehow ended up in her possession. Many of the postcards are from her nephew, capturing her imagination and giving her a glimpse into life in the early 1900s.
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thank you for sharing this extract today x
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