The domestic novel focuses on the quotidian. Marriage, parenting, and neighborhood concerns center the plot. They are often about preserving these values: protagonists heal their marriages, solve their parenting dilemmas, and restore order to a community. If there is a problem, it is often exposed and cleansed, such as a bad marriage which is upended or a local pariah who is exposed.
There is a subgenre that deviates slightly from the formula. In it, the domestic protagonist escapes from her life for a time, changed forever from the respite. While the outcomes may vary, the journey to self-appreciation is routine. Here are three stories of women getting away.
1.
Charlotte Emory is a bored housewife in Clarion, Maryland. After years of domestic drudgery, she decides to leave her husband. A fateful visit to the bank changes everything when she is caught in a holdup. What follows is a peculiar, delightful story of one woman’s emancipation.
This early Anne Tyler contains all the traits that made her famous. It’s an unusual skill to pull off a romance that originates during a crime, but she does it will her trademark quirkiness. One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.
2.
Mary Gooch is a reluctant hero. After her husband disappears on the eve of their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she leaves her Ontario hometown and heads to LA to find him.
The introduction of an ally is common to these plots. While in LA, Mary meets a group of people who help her find her worth. I found this story a bit trite, maybe because it’s so similar to Shirley Valentine. I wasn’t as charmed by Mary as I needed to be.
3.
Anne Tyler is the undisputed queen of the domestic novel. Her stories often feature breaking points in marriages with a variety of outcomes. Some couples come apart only to get back together; others split up and find a second chance at love.
In this one, Delia Grimstead walks away from her family while on a beach vacation. She feels unappreciated after years as a wife and mother. In doing so, she encounters a man she might move on with.
This might be seen as a bookend to Tyler’s great The Accidental Tourist. Delia is the opposite of Macon Leary, a travel writer who longs to stay home. By getting away Delia is able to come back to herself. She also makes a different choice from Macon when it comes to new love. Sometimes taking a break leads you back to where you started.
Books Smitten 