As Far as Jane's Grandmother's — Edith Olivier

"I sometimes think she is rather a vampire. . . . O no, not an evil one in any way, of course," Cynthia hastened to add, seeing Jane's shocked face. "But people of very strong character are demoralising to live with. One leaves everything to them, even the keeping of one's conscience." As a child Jane is dominated by her mother and grandmother, her character silenced and moulded by their formidable personalities. Living in their shadow, Jane fills her empty life with fantasy, until as a young adult an invite to a party opens her world to the possibility of choosing her own path - and even a rebellious romance. Can Jane escape her stifled youth and discover her own life, or has the mask she has always worn for her family 'grown so close to the face that it would never come off'? As Far as Jane's Grandmother's (1928) was Edith Olivier's second novel after her miniature masterpiece The Love Child (1927) won huge critical acclaim.