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This is a searching memoir of a son for his mother. In North London, 1965 a young woman has gassed herself to death, leaving behind a suicide note, two small children, and an about-to-be-published manuscript. Jeremy Gavron discovers letters, diaries, and photos that paint a picture of a brilliant but complex young woman, his mother.
About the author
Jeremy Gavron is the author of six books, including the novels The Book of Israel, winner of the Encore Award, and An Acre of Barren Ground; and A Woman on the Edge of Time, a memoir about his mother’s suicide. He lives in London, and teaches on the MFA at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.
Summary
Chosen as an Observer 'Book of the Year' by Ali Smith, Rachel Cooke and Jackie Kay
In 1965, Hannah Gavron – a bright, sophisticated young writer and wife to a rising entrepreneur – gassed herself in Primrose Hill, north London. She left behind a suicide note, two small children, and an about-to-be-published manuscript: The Captive Wife.
Jeremy Gavron was the youngest of Hannah’s children, just four years old when she killed herself. In this searching examination of the events that led to her suicide, he pieces together – from letters, diaries and the memories of old friends – a picture of a brilliant but complex young woman grappling to find an outlet for her intelligence and sexuality as she carved out her place in a man's world.
Foreword
It's 1965, and in Primrose Hill, north London, a beautiful young woman has just gassed herself to death, leaving behind a suicide note, two small children, and an about-to-be-published manuscript: The Captive Wife.
Additional text
‘Jeremy Gavron’s quest to find his mother has produced a groundbreaking book and mov-ing portrait of a spirited young woman—a ‘captive wife’—who refused to accept the social constraints of her time. Unforgettable.’
