Shillitoe, portrayed as a friend of the family, could have been reaping the benefits of getting Selina freed from the prison. Another theory we came up with is that there was a larger conspiracy to get her into the prison so that she could meet Selina. Being in the prison was meant to be a deterrent to keep her from attempting it again. A very logical suggestion was that because suicide was considered a crime in the UK until 1961 so Margaret’s attempt could have landed her in the prison if her family was not so well connected. We discussed what would have made someone suggest that Margaret, so soon after a suicide attempt, volunteer at a prison when there are so many other charitable ventures she could have partaken in. This could be why his death was even more traumatic for her.
I just thought, maybe Margaret’s father knew she was a lesbian and was the only person who she felt comfortable telling. Prior and Margaret’s brother never knew about their relationship, but Mrs. Some thought the end of her relationship might have triggered Margaret’s suicide attempt, but I personally suspect her father’s death was the larger factor. We see a side of Margaret’s fancies and obsessions through her relationship with Helen, her sister-in-law and ex-lover.
One woman pointed out that this weakness is derived from her obsession and that obsessions make humans weaker in general. As time passes, she seems weaker as she is sucked in to the lies that Selina spins around her. She seems like a strong character at first, someone who is able to stand being in a prison system for long periods of time. Margaret’s motivations were some of the first things we discussed. I’d be interested to see what else she could have written her dissertation on.) (If anyone can recommend other GLBT historical fiction, please leave a comment. Affinity was her second novel and a later book, The Night Watch focuses more on two woman in a mature lesbian relationship. Her first book, Tipping the Velvet is also a coming-out story. I’ve personally never read any GLBT historical fiction before this book and secretly wonder if she got her doctorate in her own work. I wrote my review of the book a few weeks back ( if you want to reference it) so this post will mainly focus on what my group discussed. We admitted that it was a little slow in the middle, but the reader found at the end that those small details and build-up were necessary for the ending to make sense. I don’t know if I could ever do that, but there were about four people who did. Interestingly, a large number of people in the group came without finishing the book. A lot of the questions I had about the ending and what ‘really’ happened were answered in the first five minutes and we were able to have a great discussion on the merits of the book. Thank the genius who invented book clubs! I’m so glad this book was discussed last Monday.
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