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Governor's Island, New York, August 10, 1950
Janet starts most of her books with a letter to her "girls", her readers. She writes so prolifically that she certainly doesn't have time for correspondence with strangers. In this one there is an ALL CAPS notice that this book is for older girls. She says in a post script to her younger readers "I haven't neglected you, my younger girls. I hope you will all enjoy The Reluctant Heart and won't find it uneventful and too old." As a much older reader, I found it fascinating!
The covers are not great. My copy had the hipper pink room picture with Penny sitting pensively, while the older yellow cover has, I assume, Josh clutching Penny as if they are stranded in the Amazon. Neither one gives any hint that this is a "Can she have it all?" look at the age old marriage vs. career conundrum.
As the book begins, Penny is blissfully happy out in the country. Except for having to navigate small town grocery shopping and gossip, life is a dream. Josh is working on a play and Penny barely cares, so wrapped up is she in the lives of her children, Parri and boring little Joshu. Trudy, the stalwart housekeeper tries to remind Penny that she probably needs more than this provincial life, but Penny is married to the perfect man and is adamant that her life is perfect. Of course, if it was, would this book exist?
Josh has a new play, clearly written for Penny. Even though she has her heart set on leaving the theater and being a country mom, she can't help but start thinking of the mechanics of playing the part of Anne, whose entire identity seems to be that she is in a wheelchair. Enter Neda.
Neda is a typical Lambert femme fatale - she wears makeup and smokes and she wants Josh, bad! When she is invited out to the country for the weekend, she brings an entire trunk. She immediately begins acting proprietary about Josh and is, in general, awful. But Penny is confident in Josh's love and worries not.
Penny wants to help with the play and Josh appreciates it, but there is a gross little bit where he is talking to her brother and shows that he "understands" her unwillingness to take a bigger role (like, the lead role) - "Women are meant to be wives and mothers." Yep, that's us...
Neda comes to the country a lot and Josh stays late in the city a lot. Interestingly, there is never a hint that Josh is tempted. It is the separation, rather than jealousy that finally spurs Penny to head into the city one night when Josh fails to come home. She finds him in their tiny bet-sit and they hash it out. Penny says, "I want to be with you and working. The children aren't enough. I found that out, too. Nothing's enough when we aren't together, when I'm not a part of you." Which could be endearing or terrifying, depending on the marriage, I guess.
Well it turns out that Neda sucks as an actress and has failed as a homewrecker so now the play is in jeopardy. However, Penny has decided she want to be involved and can take over the lead role. And she does, with some success.
There is a bit where they have to break it to the cast and she has to smooth some feathers. She even goes to Neda's apartment to let her know that she now has a guardian angel called Penny who is putting in a good word with directors on her behalf. In one adorable piece, she bemoans the fact that she doesn't have any gloves to wear to the theater to meet the rest of the cast and crew. This is even funnier to me because I was just in her hometown of Crawfordsville, Indiana to research her and it turns out that the museum, the library, and even my friend Susan who hosted me all have at least one pair of Janet's gloves. She apparently scattered them like grass seed,
They begin work on the play and it's going swimmingly. Penny insists on bringing the kids down to the Philadelphia previews and I feel so sorry for Trudy who has to entertain them in a hotel room. There is an interesting exchange between Penny and Josh that gives lie to Lambert's usual "a woman's place is in the home" attitude. Penny says "I wish...I could be like a man and have neat pigeonholes in my heart. Business in this slot, family in the next. I wonder if women will ever be able to do it?" Josh replies, "Probably, after they've been in business as long as men have. They're still rather new at it." Which isn't 100% correct - many women have been doing it for a long time. But the attitudes of they day still stack the deck against the success of the fairer sex. Josh also opines, "Business is business, and it doesn't run on sentiment. Perhaps that's one reason why a woman may never make a good President, and few of them ever rise to top executive. They aren't ruthless enough." Has he not just met Neda??
The Philadelphia shows are well received and they open on Broadway, a resounding success. However, all is not well in Parrish-ville. Penny's sister-in-law Caroll has had a nervous breakdown. More accurately, since her son Davy has recovered well from his polio bout, Carol no longer has to be the pillar of strength she has been and can now feel free to give in to the anxiety attacks she has been holding off. It is interesting that they are so perfectly described. I wonder if Janet had some experience with them. Of course they are not named or specifically diagnosed, but she clearly has anxiety and perhaps clinical depression. Don't worry, the love of her husband and children, and Penny sticking her nose in, cure her in a minute.
Penny decides that she loves the show, but misses easy access to her kids. At first, I thought she was going to pawn them off on Caroll to help her recovery. Because nothing says "I'm getting better" more than taking on two additional kids. But Penny wants to get a family apartment in the city. Poor, poor Trudy. There is a confusing conversation where Penny tries to talk Josh into moving the kids and he thinks she is pregnant at the beginning of the show's run. A big fight ensues, but it all calms down with communication.
The housing crisis is brought up again, but eventually Penny is summoned to look at a perfect apartment. But who is this showing up the very day she needs to view it? Why it is Terry Hayes, the trademarked Lambert-necessary second tier fella who almost gets the girl. He goes to view the apartment and confides in Penny about how his marriage in England fell apart because his wife wasn't Penny. And then he kisses her! This is so un-Lambert-like that I nearly dropped my book. He has ruined the new apartment (that is where the crime is committed) and made her feel all icky inside.
At the end, she tells Josh about this horror show and he is nonplussed. He says something along the lines of "You did notice Neda being all over me, right?" and Penny realizes that their love is so strong and perfect, no outsider can ever mess it up.
Penny, in full career gal mode realizes that she can spend the day with the kids and when they are going to bed, she goes to the theater, like other society moms. It's just that she's on the stage instead of in the audience. And her matinees are the equivalent of going to "bridge club" or the DAR meetings. Which she would hate anyway. The end of the book is her finally admitting that she loves the stage and is pleased to have a life where it can coexist with her natural and Lambert-approved desire to be a perfect wife and mother.
Penny can have it all!
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