Light & Dark

by Margaret Thomson Davis

Set in Victorian Edinburgh and West Lothian, this novel is the story of Lorianna Blackwood and her daughter, Clementina. Lorianna was only 16 when she married Gavin Blackwood, a widower and a victim of his own repressed sexuality. Clementina is determined to fight her mother's kind of subjugation.

522 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1994

About the author

A prolific author, admired for her depiction of the Scottish working class communities.

Reviews

[Dawn Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as the "antonyms in the title" book in my annual reading challenge.
Initially I was sure this would be a DNF, I struggled to continue through the first half with Lorianna's disastrous marriage and sexual awakening. If I'd wanted Lady Chatterley's Lover I'd have just read it (and probably enjoyed it more). It's not that it was badly written, it's just very much not my kind of thing!
The second half was an improvement, focusing more on Lorianna's daughter. Clementina, has a more political awakening (but there's time for some other stirrings) arguing for women's rights emboldened by the suffragist movement.
There's definitely something "upstairs -downstairs" and rich vs poor going on (the housekeeper is terrifying) and obviously there's female awakenings. But perhaps there's just too much going on, the denouement seemed hurried (and it's not a short book) as ultimately mother and daughter get their men and everyone else's endings are left hanging.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been a while since I gave a four star rating here but I reckon this one deserves it. It is a story of misogyny and misandry and the terrible consequences that result from it. It is almost two seperate book with the first half focusing on Lorianna. It is basically lady chatterley's lover. The second half then focuses on her daughter Clementina and her involvement in the suffragette movement. Women get a horrific time in the story and then one character's hatred of all men has devastating consequencs on all involved. It has a slightly worrying ending as both characters end up with men and the reader is left with the undeniable fear that the oppression by men may continue.