The return of the soldier

A strange woman arrives at the door with unsettling news for Jenny and her sister-in-law Kitty: Jenny’s husband has lost his memory while fighting in the war. As their solider returns home, the women discover that his mind is stuck on the woman he loved fifteen years before—the same woman who first delivered the news of his memory loss and whom Jenny and Kitty regard as socially beneath them. As they care for him and react to this news, they come to understand the power of love—past, present, unrequited, and unconditional.

 

Psychologically astute, West’s unforgettable first work of fiction reveals her innate skill at understanding the constructs of class that hamper people’s attempts to connect with one another.