Family Album, By Penelope Lively
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Penelope Lively's story of the Allersmead family – Allersmead is the house, not their name, but they are so identified with the house that they never need a surname – is told by its various members, including Swedish au pair Ingrid, who came one day and never left.
It is intriguing, but seems to be missing something at its heart. Lively does what she can to centre it, with the somewhat clichéd patriarch Charles, who writes anthropological books while remaining distinctly less than fascinated by his own brood, and the earth-mother Alison, who has brought six children into the world. Or has she? I couldn't decide if daughter Gina's boyfriend Paul had given something away when he says "There was one family of five at my school": does Paul know that the youngest, Clare, is not, strictly speaking, a daughter of Allersmead?
Lively is exploring more than just the importance of progeniture here; she is exploring all sorts of notions of what we bequeath the world, whether through the disappointing first-born, who has failed to live up to his scholarly father's expectations, or in Alison's absorbing into her home of all who pass through it.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments