By one of the most original writers of the twentieth century and " and " ( Reference and u0026 Research Book News), this early novel foreshadows Kavan's later development. and " and "This 1929 novel, set in an English industrial town, depicts the lives of a woman and her children who suffer at the hands of an oppressive husband and father. and " and " - Library Journal. and " and "Kavan's prose is like pollen, frail yet enduring. She is de Quincey's heir, Kafka's sister and a true writer. and " and " - Brian Aldiss.