At Mrs. Lippincote's
At Mrs. Lippincote's is a
1945 novel by
Elizabeth Taylor.
Julia and her husband, Roddy, along with their young son, Oliver, and Roddy's cousin, Eleanor, are temporarily living at Mrs. Lippincote's, a house filled with old
mahogany furniture and other reminders of earlier
wealth. Julia and the others have joined Roddy, who is an
officer in the
Royal Air Force.
She must be mother and, above all, an officer's wife. Roddy, a 'leader of men,' requires that she fulfill her role impeccably. Julia accepts the pompousness of
service life, but her honesty and sense of humour prevent her from taking her role too seriously.
In her easygoing friendship with the
Wing Commander and her allegiance with the raffish Mr. Taylor, Julia expresses a sensitivity unknown to those closest to her. Others may chafe at her behaviour, but it is they who are practicing hypocrisy–not Julia.
At Mrs. Lippincote's was published again in
1988 by Virago Press, containing an
autobiographical sketch of the
author.
(ISBN 0-86068-538-1)