''The Ballad and the Source'' is a novel by

Rosamond Lehmann Rosamond Nina Lehmann (3 February 1901 – 12 March 1990) was an English novelist and translator. Her first novel, ''Dusty Answer'' (1927), was a ''succès de scandale''; she subsequently became established in the literary world and intimate ...

, first published in 1944 by

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...

in the UK. Set in

Edwardian England The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

, the book deals with the relationship between Rebecca, a young girl, and Sibyl Jardine, a complicated and domineering elderly woman. Contemporary reviewers compared the novel to the work of

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

, though the book's

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

was then considered unfashionable.Susan Janet Kaplan, 'Rosamond Lehmann's The Ballad and the Source: A Confrontation with "The Great Mother"', ''Twentieth Century Literature'', Vol. 27, No. 2 (Summer 1981), pp.127-145 Lehmann returned to the character of Rebecca in her last novel, '' A Sea-Grape Tree'' (1976), which follows her as an adult dealing with betrayal by a married lover.

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Review
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Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', April 2, 1945 1944 British novels English novels William Collins, Sons books {{1940s-hist-novel-stub