The Vision of Desire

About the book

Ann Lovell has promised Tony Brabazon's dying mother that she will help steady him, especially against the gambling habits that threaten to repeat his father's mistakes. Tony interprets their intimacy romantically, although Ann does not wish to marry him. Her sense of responsibility makes it difficult simply to put distance between them. A return to England, where her brother is recovering from the war, brings her into the sphere of Eliot Coventry, a man whose earlier disappointment has left a hard mark upon his life. Pedler places the romance among obligations created by affection, gratitude, and incomplete knowledge. Ann must consider whether caring for another person's welfare gives that person a claim over her future, and how trust can survive the influence of old wounds.

• Promises and independence
• Love and responsibility
• The influence of the past

Why read it

Ann's promise creates a concrete conflict between generous intentions and the freedom to decide whom she loves.

English text of Margaret Pedler's novel