We were excited to come into possession of a rare, signed, first edition copy of The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins.
This 1954 psychological novel explores the slow collapse of an upper-middle-class marriage in post-war England. It centers on Imogen Gresham, a beautiful, gentle younger wife, and her successful, self-assured barrister husband Evelyn. Their comfortable domestic life is quietly upended when Evelyn’s affections drift toward their affluent, middle-aged, and decidedly frumpy neighbor, Blanche Silcox. Though initially confident in her own superior beauty, Imogen slowly and painfully realizes that Blanche’s pragmatic competence and shared ambition make her a more formidable match for Evelyn, subverting the classic fable to prove that the race of the heart is not always won by the fairest. (Gemini)
Educated at Cambridge, Elizabeth Jenkins gained early recognition with her 1934 novel Harriet, which won the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse, and went on to write highly acclaimed biographies of figures like Elizabeth I and Jane Austen. A co-founder of the Jane Austen Society, Jenkins possessed a distinctive ability to dissect the subtle tensions of middle-class English life, blending historical precision with an elegant, understated prose style that kept her writing relevant across a career spanning seven decades. (Gemini)
I have verified the signature through comparison with letters from the archives at Oxford University, from EJ to a friend. The letter itself is very entertaining, as it outlines Elizabeth’s interest in the Earl of Leicester (Robert Dudley) and his relationship with Lady Sheffield and Elizabeth 1st.
The Tortoise and the Hare has been described as “beautifully written” and “profoundly entertaining”.
