“A woman’s heart is a deep well of secrets.” Chapter 1: The Mysterious Widow The novel opens with Yasuko, a young widow, visiting her mother-in-law, Mieko Toganō, a […]
Japanese literature
The Waiting Years
“A woman’s life is nothing but waiting—waiting for happiness, waiting for love, waiting for the end.” Chapter 1: The Arrival of Tomo The novel opens with Tomo, the […]
German literature
The Marquise of O
“She was a good woman, and she had a good heart.” Chapter 1 The Marquise of O—, a virtuous widow, finds herself inexplicably pregnant despite having no memory […]
Russian literature
The Darling
“She wanted a love that would absorb her whole being, her whole soul and reason—that would give her ideas and an object in life.” The Darling by Anton […]