collection of pets, she is ill-equipped to cope with the bohemian London of the 1930s, where poverty, babies (however much loved) and her husband conspire to torment her.

Hoping to add some spice to her life, Sophia takes up with Peregrine, a dismal, ageing critic, and comes to regret her marriage - and her affair. But in this case, virtue is more than its own reward, for repentance brings an abrupt end to the cycle of unsold pictures, unpaid bills and unwashed dishes... Born and raised in England, Barbara Comyns (1909-1992) was a writer and artist who juggled various creative and entrepreneurial endeavors throughout her colorful life, leaving behind a rich literary legacy.