The Vet's Daughter
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''The Vet's Daughter'' () is a 1959 novel by English author
Barbara Comyns Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns Carr (born Barbara Irene Veronica Bayley; 27 December 1907Celia Brayfield (2004)Carr, Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns (1907–1992) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. – 14 ...
.


Premise

Alice Rowlands is the daughter of a
South London South London is the southern part of Greater London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, Lon ...
veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...
in the
Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
era. Alice's father is a bully who rules their repressed house through terror. Alice's frail mother dies and is swiftly replaced in the family home by her father's brash and sexually savvy new girlfriend. The confusion and abuse heaped on Alice combined with her ultimate optimism lead to her discovering her own
occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...
powers, with disastrous results. The quality of the writing and of that "innocent eye which observes with childlike simplicity the most fantastic or the most ominous occurrence" was praised by
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...
.


History

Barbara Comyns Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns Carr (born Barbara Irene Veronica Bayley; 27 December 1907Celia Brayfield (2004)Carr, Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns (1907–1992) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. – 14 ...
dreamt the idea for ''The Vet's Daughter'' whilst on honeymoon in a Welsh cottage lent to her and her new husband by the
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
agent
Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963, he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring that had divulged British secr ...
in 1945. The novel was not to be completed for some years and was first published by Heinemann in 1959. In 1978 the novel was used as the basis for the musical '' The Clapham Wonder'', directed by
Sandy Wilson Alexander Galbraith "Sandy" Wilson (19 May 1924 – 27 August 2014) was an English composer and lyricist, best known for his musical '' The Boy Friend'' (1953). Biography Wilson was born in Sale, Cheshire, England, and was educated at Harrow ...
. It was republished by
Virago A virago is a woman who demonstrates abundant masculine virtues. The word comes from the Latin word ''virāgō'' (genitive virāginis) meaning "vigorous maiden" from ''vir'' meaning "man" or "man-like" (cf. virile and virtue) to which the suffi ...
in 1981 and has been reprinted several times since then. The story was read by
Susannah Harker Susannah Harker (born Susannah Owens; 26 April 1965) is an English film, television, and theatre actress. She was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 1990 for her role as Mattie Storin in ''House of Cards''. She played Jane Bennet in the 1995 TV ...
for
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
.


Reception

In 2019, the book was featured on the
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
programme ''A Good Read'', where it was described as "suburban gothic meets magical realism". Avril Horner writing in 2021 for ''TLS. Times Literary Supplement'' noted that the book is "now considered by many to be her finest novel" and received "many enthusiastic reviews".


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vets Daughter 1959 British novels English novels Novels set in London Heinemann (publisher) books British novels adapted into plays NYRB Classics