The Ladies [Paperback]

Grumbach Doris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 1993

"A tale told in delicate brushstrokes of a relationship in which two hearts came almost literally to beat as one."

Newsday

In the late 18th century, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby defied all conventions of their Irish homeland and eloped to Wales as a married couple.

There, over many years, they forged a romantic paradise from a simple country cottage and a few acres of land. They called it "Plas Newydd" the New Place. Their home was filled with light and love, with the pursuit of enlightenment, with exquisite expressions of their devotion. Their land contained gardens and quiet paths for walking, fruit trees and flowers and bees, sheep and chickens and cows.

Eleanor and Sarah lived in almost utter solitude. When the outside world eventually discovered them, many people journeyed to Wales out of curiosity to meet the renowned "Ladies of Llangollen." All of them came away with profound respect for their way of life, their love for each other, and their courage to be themselves.

"Understated and elegant, this slim book is a true classic on that rarest of relationships, companions of the heart."

San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A tale told in delicate brushstrokes of a relationship in which two hearts came almost literally to beat as one."

Newsday



"Understated and elegant, this slim book is a true classic on that rarest of relationships, companions of the heart."

San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"A tale told in delicate brushstrokes of a relationship in which two hearts came almost literally to beat as one."

Newsday

In the late 18th century, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby defied all conventions of their Irish homeland and eloped to Wales as a married couple.

There, over many years, they forged a romantic paradise from a simple country cottage and a few acres of land. They called it "Plas Newydd" the New Place. Their home was filled with light and love, with the pursuit of enlightenment, with exquisite expressions of their devotion. Their land contained gardens and quiet paths for walking, fruit trees and flowers and bees, sheep and chickens and cows.

Eleanor and Sarah lived in almost utter solitude. When the outside world eventually discovered them, many people journeyed to Wales out of curiosity to meet the renowned "Ladies of Llangollen." All of them came away with profound respect for their way of life, their love for each other, and their courage to be themselves.

"Understated and elegant, this slim book is a true classic on that rarest of relationships, companions of the heart."

San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. (November 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393310922
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310924
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ladies, January 1, 2002

By 

shireenkathryn@webtv (Benicia, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ladies (Paperback)

This is just a sweet old fashioned love story... a lesbian love story that is. I happened upon a hardcover copy in a used bookstore. The cover looked idyllic, pastoral... two ladies dressed in riding habits, surveying the english countryside. It is a story of the enormous risks they took to be together, and the creative life of beauty that they shared until death. I loved the descriptions of their daily lives... how they passionately strove for their own peaceable kingdom. They lived in an eden of their own makng. Please read this book and be inspired by their example to create your own heaven on earth with those you love...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Historical Novel of a Lesbian Couple in 18th Century Ireland, June 9, 2009

By 

Bonnie Brody "Book Lover and Knitter" (Port St. Lucie, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Ladies (Paperback)

This is a lovely historical novel about two lesbians in 18th century Ireland. They are totally devoted to one another and overcome all sorts of obstacles in order to establish themselves as a family unit on the 'Plas Newydd'. They are quite an eccentric pair. They are a classic 'masculine' (butch) and feminine couple. They entertain critics, writers, royalty, etc. in their home.

The novel hypothesizes how a cultured couple such as Eleanor and Sarah would have intermingled with respected, wealthy and knowledgeable personages of their time. They are quite secure financially and never have to contend with poverty.

The language is sedate and descriptive, evoking a clear picture of their lives without delving into the passion that is obviously one of their mainsprings. Grumbach mentions it but her style is 'literary divorcee' ' ' she is viewing their lives at a linguistic distance.

"They had learned the lessons that made living together possible: to bear each other's failings with fortitude and to freely indulge their own without guilt. They grew more and more like each other. Their faults became common to them both, their virtues a kind of mutual feast that they celebrated together". (p. 180).

This quote sounds like the description of any successful relationship that has weathered time and circumstance and still holds together strongly.