A Diary of Love by Maude Hutchins
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Maude Hutchins was born to wealthy parents in New York City and brought up by her grandparents after being orphaned at a young age. She had an aptitude for painting, drawing, and sculpture. She attended Yale University, earning a degree in fine arts. She married a powerful husband, Robert Maynard Hutchins, who went on to become the President of the University of Chicago. At times, Maude and Robert held the image of a golden couple, similar to Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald; in reality, the marriage was estranged and tumultuous.
Maude wrote shocking and scandalous novels. At times, dismissed as erotica, her literature has experienced a revival and new appreciation today.
Hutchins' best-known work is Victorine, the story of a teenage girl's polymorphous journey of exploration and awakening. We read the novel and discussed it in the group in 2022. The discussion was an excellent one, and we agreed to continue to explore Hutchins and delve into other neglected works. If you are interested, but unfamiliar with Hutchins, I suggest you read Victorine (a quick read) and see if this is for you.
After reading a few more Hutchins novels, I believe there is solid literary merit to "A Diary of Love", a touching story of a sickly/invalid young girl and her coming of age. I'm confident we'll have a great discussion.
The novel is hard to find, so posting early. Scouring libraries and used bookshops will pay dividends. Please post any good sources of the novel in the comments.
An Amazon link:
https://a.co/d/hz2V2zS
Posting early so people can scour other used book sites online
A Diary of Love by Maude Hutchins