Thank Heaven Fasting (Virago Modern Classics)

Review from librarything dot com: "She could never, looking backwards, remember a time when she had not known that a woman’s failure or success in life depended entirely on whether or not she succeeded in getting a husband."

In the opening scenes of Thank Heaven Fasting, Monica is getting ready to come out in society, under the watchful eye of her controlling mother, Imogen. Her ability to quickly land a husband is assumed and expected, and Monica quietly looks down upon long-time friends who have not been so lucky. And initially, things look promising for Monica: she has all the right accoutrements, and men queuing up to fill her dance card, but E.M. Delafield had something different in mind

Delafield is best known for The Diary of a Provincial Lady, a witty satire of 1930s life in the English provinces. I approached Thank Heaven Fasting expecting a similar tone, and was initially amused by Imogen’s attempts to provide all the best accoutrements for her daughter, and coach her in proper behavior. I was somewhat concerned I would have to read about balls, gowns, and young men for 200+ pages, but the novel became more poignant as Delafield showed how very few options women had at this point in history. The final sentence hammered that point home, while leaving me wondering what was next for Monica."