The pelicans

"The Pelicans" by E. M. Delafield is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story explores themes of family, responsibility, and emotional struggle, focusing on the lives of two orphaned sisters, Rosamund and Frances Grantham, as they navigate their feelings after the death of their mother and adapt to their new lives. The narrative also delves into the dynamics of their new guardianship under Bertha Tregaskis, a capable yet somewhat overwhelming figure, and her family, highlighting a stark contrast between the sisters' previous upbringing and their new environment. At the start of the novel, we meet Lady Argent and her son, Ludovic, who discuss the recent death of Mrs. Grantham and how her children will be cared for. Bertha Tregaskis, a caring relative, decides to take in the orphaned girls, and tensions arise as Rosamund expresses resentment towards the transition. The opening section revolves around the complexities of the sisters' emotions, particularly Rosamund's defiance and struggle to retain her identity amidst the changes. The narrative captures the delicate nature of childhood grief and the challenges of adjusting to loss, all while introducing a cast of characters that influence the sisters' evolving lives. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood, née de la Pasture, commonly known as E. M. Delafield, was a prolific English author. She wrote novels, short stories, and plays, among other genres, but Delafield is best known for her largely autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady, which took the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle class Englishwoman living mostly in a Devon village of the 1930s. In sequels, the Provincial Lady buys a flat in London, travels to America and attempts to find war-work during the Phoney War. Delafield's other works include an account of a visit to the Soviet Union, but this is not part of the Provincial Lady series, despite having been reprinted with the title The Provincial Lady in Russia. Delafield is considered by many to have been a master of the comedy of manners.