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Old Lovegood Girls
"As always, wry, beadyeyed, acute." -Margaret Atwood, via TwitterFrom the bestselling, award-winning author of Flora and Evensong comes the story of two remarkable women and the complex friendship between them that spans decades. When the dean of Lovegood Junior College for Girls decides to pair Feron Hood with Merry Jellicoe as roommates in 1958, she has no way of knowing the far-reaching consequences of the match. Feron, who has narrowly escaped from a dark past, instantly takes to Merry and her composed personality. Surrounded by the traditions and four-story Doric columns of Lovegood, the girls--and their friendship--begin to thrive. But underneath their fierce friendship is a stronger, stranger bond, one comprised of secrets, rivalry, and influence--with neither of them able to predict that Merry is about to lose everything she grew up taking for granted, and that their time together will be cut short. Ten years later, Feron and Merry haven't spoken since college. Life has led them into vastly different worlds. But, as Feron says, once someone is inside your “reference aura,” she stays there forever. And when each woman finds herself in need of the other's essence, that spark--that remarkable affinity, unbroken by time--between them is reignited, and their lives begin to shift as a result. Luminous and masterfully crafted, Old Lovegood Girls is the story of a powerful friendship between talented writers, two college friends who have formed a bond that takes them through decades of a fast-changing world, finding and losing and finding again the one friendship that defines them.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2020
336 people are currently reading
3788 people want to read
About the author
Gail Godwin
51 books415 followersGail Kathleen Godwin is an American novelist and short story writer. She has published one non-fiction work, two collections of short stories, and eleven novels, three of which have been nominated for the National Book Award and five of which have made the New York Times Bestseller List.
Godwin's body of work has garnered many honors, including three National Book Award nominations, a Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts grants for both fiction and libretto writing, and the Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Five of her novels have been on the New York Times best seller list.
Godwin lives and writes in Woodstock, New York.
Godwin's body of work has garnered many honors, including three National Book Award nominations, a Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts grants for both fiction and libretto writing, and the Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Five of her novels have been on the New York Times best seller list.
Godwin lives and writes in Woodstock, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
August 5, 2020
This is a quiet, intense and introspective story of a complicated friendship between two college friends that spans six decades, one that I think will appeal to fans of Gail Godwin’s writing. When Merry and Feron become roommates at Lovegood, a two year women’s college in North Carolina, their life experiences couldn’t be further apart . Merry, upbeat and caring, has had a seemingly stable family life on the tobacco farm where she grew up. Feron, aloof and insecure, has had a sad, unstable life as the daughter of an alcoholic mother and a vile, abusive stepfather. It seemed unlikely that they would connect. Yet, they do and a complex relationship develops over the years. Even though they are not in touch for years at a time, they remain in each other’s heads and dreams and hearts, even though sometimes jealous and competitive, keeping things from each other.
There were times when I found it hard to see this as a deep friendship. They don’t really keep in touch on a frequent basis and it’s years in between letters and visits which never last more than a lunch . Through the years , there are losses and heartbreaks, successes and failures and I found it sad that they were not always there for each other, as you would expect a friend to be. Yet, there is always a connection. We are sometimes privy to letters they send to each other and letters never sent, which seem to reflect what they mean to each other, more so than the letters they send. Both are writers and what they write sometimes reflects each other’s lives, not just their own.
I found this to be a moving story, sad at times, maddening at others, but ultimately satisfying as Godwin develops these characters and shows us the emotional depth of a true friendship.
I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury through Edelweiss.
There were times when I found it hard to see this as a deep friendship. They don’t really keep in touch on a frequent basis and it’s years in between letters and visits which never last more than a lunch . Through the years , there are losses and heartbreaks, successes and failures and I found it sad that they were not always there for each other, as you would expect a friend to be. Yet, there is always a connection. We are sometimes privy to letters they send to each other and letters never sent, which seem to reflect what they mean to each other, more so than the letters they send. Both are writers and what they write sometimes reflects each other’s lives, not just their own.
I found this to be a moving story, sad at times, maddening at others, but ultimately satisfying as Godwin develops these characters and shows us the emotional depth of a true friendship.
I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury through Edelweiss.
September 27, 2020
I’m not feeling the love for this one.
What I thought was going to be a story of a
deep friendship across decades, seemed more of a shot at a literature seminar and confounding the reader Into this question of, what is this about? As it doesn’t appear to be about a deep seeded friendship- but rather 2 people who catch Up once every decade professing their friendship as foundational in their lives.
I just didn’t get that from this.
This was more about writing and trying to find meaning in each other’s lives that just didn’t jive for me. A friendship, one would think, would exist not only during the good times but also when you would need each other the most. They did finally seem to get into the rhythm of what could be defined as that, but geez Louise, I don’t think I would have had the stamina to hold onto this friendship.
There are some great reviews out there on this.
For me it was rather maddening and frustrating and not what I was expecting.
3⭐️
What I thought was going to be a story of a
deep friendship across decades, seemed more of a shot at a literature seminar and confounding the reader Into this question of, what is this about? As it doesn’t appear to be about a deep seeded friendship- but rather 2 people who catch Up once every decade professing their friendship as foundational in their lives.
I just didn’t get that from this.
This was more about writing and trying to find meaning in each other’s lives that just didn’t jive for me. A friendship, one would think, would exist not only during the good times but also when you would need each other the most. They did finally seem to get into the rhythm of what could be defined as that, but geez Louise, I don’t think I would have had the stamina to hold onto this friendship.
There are some great reviews out there on this.
For me it was rather maddening and frustrating and not what I was expecting.
3⭐️
May 5, 2020
Like most of Godwin’s work, this is a novel about the lives of women, but Godwin writes women’s fiction that deconstructs the condescending presumptions of that label. Her new book is a brilliant example of the way she can don even the most ladylike concerns while working through issues of independence, power and artistic integrity.
The story begins in 1958 at the Lovegood College for women, one of those prim academies corseted by tradition and good manners. Godwin knows this setting well and has fictionalized it before. In the late 1950s, she attended Peace College for women in Raleigh, N.C., and in 1984, she published a terrific short story in the Iowa Review also called “Old Lovegood Girls.”
As the novel opens, the dorm mistress, who “displayed the ramrod posture of a woman born in the last century,” and the dean are discussing the proper placement of incoming students. The dean can remember an earlier era when girls were “allowed to bring one horse. Just one.” Those were the days! “Let’s hope and plan that we can accommodate the spirit of change without forfeiting Lovegood’s values,” she says.
This campus, with its overlay of Southern evasiveness, is tempting grounds for satire, but Godwin has something more complex in mind. She’s created these genteel administrators in such fullness that they exemplify Lovegood’s noble values even as they take pleasure in their own slightly parodic performance. They are, like several academics I’ve adored over the years, delightfully sincere caricatures of themselves. But . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
The story begins in 1958 at the Lovegood College for women, one of those prim academies corseted by tradition and good manners. Godwin knows this setting well and has fictionalized it before. In the late 1950s, she attended Peace College for women in Raleigh, N.C., and in 1984, she published a terrific short story in the Iowa Review also called “Old Lovegood Girls.”
As the novel opens, the dorm mistress, who “displayed the ramrod posture of a woman born in the last century,” and the dean are discussing the proper placement of incoming students. The dean can remember an earlier era when girls were “allowed to bring one horse. Just one.” Those were the days! “Let’s hope and plan that we can accommodate the spirit of change without forfeiting Lovegood’s values,” she says.
This campus, with its overlay of Southern evasiveness, is tempting grounds for satire, but Godwin has something more complex in mind. She’s created these genteel administrators in such fullness that they exemplify Lovegood’s noble values even as they take pleasure in their own slightly parodic performance. They are, like several academics I’ve adored over the years, delightfully sincere caricatures of themselves. But . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
July 21, 2020
Thoughts soon.
December 1, 2021
Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin, a historical fiction spread over several decades of timeline about two women and their friendship. The story is set in 1950s, starting at Lovegood College. The story is about independence, strong women, working women, integrity, etc.
I loved the old college setting, with strict rules and patriarchy, which Gail tried to show a different side to us. The book holds a lot more to see and learn from then only friendship between Merry & Feron. We grow with the story and the plot as these two girls from 1950s to early 2000s.
The book also have hits of light academia according to me based on Lovegood School and its Doric Columns. The writers aspect was an added layer and a great aspect between the two characters. A lot of us may be able to resonate with Feron on some aspects of her being a writer and her journey.
I loved the old college setting, with strict rules and patriarchy, which Gail tried to show a different side to us. The book holds a lot more to see and learn from then only friendship between Merry & Feron. We grow with the story and the plot as these two girls from 1950s to early 2000s.
The book also have hits of light academia according to me based on Lovegood School and its Doric Columns. The writers aspect was an added layer and a great aspect between the two characters. A lot of us may be able to resonate with Feron on some aspects of her being a writer and her journey.
February 19, 2020
A beautifully written, cerebral novel which is a fine example of literary fiction. The characters were easily imagined, and all too human.
The passage of time is portrayed partly through correspondence between the two vastly different women. Theirs is a friendship which doesn't require constant nurturing. Years go by without them seeing each other, yet when they do meet up - it is as if they had spoken only the day before. They never run out of conversation.
Both women are talented writers with very different life stories upon which they draw to write their books. Tragedy, happiness, sickness, loss, success and failure all contribute to their lives - and their friendship.
The book touches on psychological and philosophical themes. As our lives unfold over the years are we actually many different versions of ourselves? Do we all hold back a certain private part of ourselves which no one else ever discovers? Does the way we deal with disappointment and uncertainty shape the way our lives pan out? Why is it that two different people can remember the very same event in such a vastly different way?
If you are looking for a fast-paced novel, you will not find it here. Literary analogies, repetition, and philosophical debate permeate the narrative. Intellectual, slow-paced, literary fiction. Recommended!
The passage of time is portrayed partly through correspondence between the two vastly different women. Theirs is a friendship which doesn't require constant nurturing. Years go by without them seeing each other, yet when they do meet up - it is as if they had spoken only the day before. They never run out of conversation.
Both women are talented writers with very different life stories upon which they draw to write their books. Tragedy, happiness, sickness, loss, success and failure all contribute to their lives - and their friendship.
The book touches on psychological and philosophical themes. As our lives unfold over the years are we actually many different versions of ourselves? Do we all hold back a certain private part of ourselves which no one else ever discovers? Does the way we deal with disappointment and uncertainty shape the way our lives pan out? Why is it that two different people can remember the very same event in such a vastly different way?
If you are looking for a fast-paced novel, you will not find it here. Literary analogies, repetition, and philosophical debate permeate the narrative. Intellectual, slow-paced, literary fiction. Recommended!
June 8, 2020
Books by Gail Godwin are special for me because one of the peak experiences in my career as a university teacher was a semester course with a lively and enthusiastic class, focused on four of her novels, as well as four by Susan Howatch. (One of the assignments was to write a letter from one of her characters to one in the other’s or vice versa.) I thought Father Melancholy’s Daughter and Evensong were two of the best treatments of Anglican spirituality I had ever read. Not all of Godwin’s books worked for me: Unfinished Desires was a disappointment, Fleur enjoyable but not quite great, and Grief Cottage a DNF. Fortunately, I found Old Lovegood Girls stunning, a superb celebration of one of my favorite themes, a school friendship that turns out indeed to be Forever. The title is a wordplay. “Old girls” in the British sense of alumnae, but also chronologically. We follow Feron Hood and Merry Jellicoe from their first semester at Lovegood, a women’s junior college in eastern North Carolina, in 1958, till the end of the century. Both are talented writers but only Feron fully develops her gift, and even she supported herself mostly in a day job for a management consultant firm in New York. Merry remains in Carolina running a tobacco farm. But though sometimes nearly a decade passes without their being in touch, they remain close. If you have had the honor to enjoy such a friendship you know what it’s like: a reunion after twenty years feels like picking up a conversation interrupted five minutes ago.
Because Gail Godwin and I are near contemporaries, la longue durée brought back to me the experience of starting an undergraduate English major at the end of the fifties. Then the reigning deities for aspiring creative writers were Chekhov and Joyce (particularly Dubliners). Taking a creative writing course from a professor who expounded the same doctrines as Miss Petrie in this novel left me persuaded that I had no gift as a creative writer and I ended up with a career devoted to scholarship instead. (Finally after retirement I rediscovered my gift, but with different models like Donna Tartt’s Secret History.) But Chekhov certainly worked as a model for Godwin in this book. The teenaged Feron, escaping a sexually abusing stepfather, encountered a stranger on a bus trip, which led her to Lovegood College and a new life.
As in Godwin’s previous novels, we find rackety families and unreliable parent figures and eccentrics, as well as an attraction to relationships with older men. Feron marries her professor of medieval studies at UNC, an expert of Aelred’s Spiritual Friendship. Godwin’s minor characters are terribly accident-prone—Feron is a widow at twenty-three. But then Merry inherited the tobacco plantation her freshman year.
Over a lifetime it was enjoyable to chart the changes that I recall from my own experience. In 1969 Merry travels from Carolina to New York by train; in 1979 she flies. Feron types her novels on a Remington portable typewriter and does not get round to using a laptop till the later ‘90s. Occasionally there’s an allusion to a current event, like the school headmistress Jean Peters who blew away her lover the Scarsdale diet doctor. Apparently, the dean at Longwood had been tempted to something similar. And I have to admit thoroughly disliking Feron’s creative writing teacher at Columbia who is called Alexy Cuervo (I kept wanting to call him José), who is supposed to be a one-trick pony famous for one novel, whose literary pronouncements seemed pretentious and boring.
But the pleasure of Old Lovegood Girls lay not in following Feron’s literary career, but in the beautiful course of watching a friendship grow and change and yet endure and remain. Neither Merry nor Feron has a life that many people would choose, although they are successful and accomplished by most standards. But their relationship is one to model and if you ever have one like theirs, hold onto it tight.
Because Gail Godwin and I are near contemporaries, la longue durée brought back to me the experience of starting an undergraduate English major at the end of the fifties. Then the reigning deities for aspiring creative writers were Chekhov and Joyce (particularly Dubliners). Taking a creative writing course from a professor who expounded the same doctrines as Miss Petrie in this novel left me persuaded that I had no gift as a creative writer and I ended up with a career devoted to scholarship instead. (Finally after retirement I rediscovered my gift, but with different models like Donna Tartt’s Secret History.) But Chekhov certainly worked as a model for Godwin in this book. The teenaged Feron, escaping a sexually abusing stepfather, encountered a stranger on a bus trip, which led her to Lovegood College and a new life.
As in Godwin’s previous novels, we find rackety families and unreliable parent figures and eccentrics, as well as an attraction to relationships with older men. Feron marries her professor of medieval studies at UNC, an expert of Aelred’s Spiritual Friendship. Godwin’s minor characters are terribly accident-prone—Feron is a widow at twenty-three. But then Merry inherited the tobacco plantation her freshman year.
Over a lifetime it was enjoyable to chart the changes that I recall from my own experience. In 1969 Merry travels from Carolina to New York by train; in 1979 she flies. Feron types her novels on a Remington portable typewriter and does not get round to using a laptop till the later ‘90s. Occasionally there’s an allusion to a current event, like the school headmistress Jean Peters who blew away her lover the Scarsdale diet doctor. Apparently, the dean at Longwood had been tempted to something similar. And I have to admit thoroughly disliking Feron’s creative writing teacher at Columbia who is called Alexy Cuervo (I kept wanting to call him José), who is supposed to be a one-trick pony famous for one novel, whose literary pronouncements seemed pretentious and boring.
But the pleasure of Old Lovegood Girls lay not in following Feron’s literary career, but in the beautiful course of watching a friendship grow and change and yet endure and remain. Neither Merry nor Feron has a life that many people would choose, although they are successful and accomplished by most standards. But their relationship is one to model and if you ever have one like theirs, hold onto it tight.
July 25, 2020
The blurb on this novel sounded like something I’d love: basically, two girls who become college roommates forge a friendship that lasts a lifetime despite the fact they take very different paths and their lives hold various secrets and challenges. I’m in!
Technically yes, this is the plot. But the girls are roommates for literally four months when they are torn apart, and although they manage to maintain their friendship through the decades, they are in contact with each other literally only about once every 8-10 years. And by ‘contact’, that includes written correspondence.
It just seems a bit of a stretch that they consider each other ‘best friends’ after such a short period together and such limited contact with one another. That short time span at college just didn’t allow me to establish them as BFFs... there was as much written about the teachers and the dean as there was about the girls. To me, it lacked depth; I needed more about them.
The writing is good and I would definitely consider this literary fiction. There was enough going on in their respective lives to keep me interested for the most part, although I must confess to skimming quite a bit to move things along at times. 2.5 stars, but I can’t bring myself to round it up.
Technically yes, this is the plot. But the girls are roommates for literally four months when they are torn apart, and although they manage to maintain their friendship through the decades, they are in contact with each other literally only about once every 8-10 years. And by ‘contact’, that includes written correspondence.
It just seems a bit of a stretch that they consider each other ‘best friends’ after such a short period together and such limited contact with one another. That short time span at college just didn’t allow me to establish them as BFFs... there was as much written about the teachers and the dean as there was about the girls. To me, it lacked depth; I needed more about them.
The writing is good and I would definitely consider this literary fiction. There was enough going on in their respective lives to keep me interested for the most part, although I must confess to skimming quite a bit to move things along at times. 2.5 stars, but I can’t bring myself to round it up.
October 14, 2021
И как так вышло, что я ничего у нее не читала?
Начинается как кампусный роман и переходит в недосказанную и душевную историю нетоксичной дружбы.
Начинается как кампусный роман и переходит в недосказанную и душевную историю нетоксичной дружбы.
May 3, 2020
3.5 stars
This is a definite literary novel. It's not often I read books that discuss Chekhov stories and Doris Lessing books as casually as what someone is doing for the week-end. It is the story of two college room-mates at a small two year college. Even though they spend a short time together they become life long friends. They go long periods without talking (sometimes 8-10 years) but always turn up when the other one needs them. It is a glowing story about friendship.
This is a definite literary novel. It's not often I read books that discuss Chekhov stories and Doris Lessing books as casually as what someone is doing for the week-end. It is the story of two college room-mates at a small two year college. Even though they spend a short time together they become life long friends. They go long periods without talking (sometimes 8-10 years) but always turn up when the other one needs them. It is a glowing story about friendship.
April 2, 2020
I’ve loved Gail Godwin’s books for years. “Father Melancholy’s Daughter” was my intro to her, and since reading that book, I always browsed in the “G”‘s at the library back in the ’90s, looking to see if she’d written anything new. She’s now 82, and is still writing: “Old Lovegood Girls” is her latest.
The book takes its title from Lovegood, the junior college where Feron and Merry meet as roommates in 1958. At Lovegood, young ladies are “removed from strife … they may seek the mental life.” I really enjoyed the first part of the book detailing the girls’ time at Lovegood. Due to a tragic event, after one semester their time together there is over and they head their separate ways. The rest of the book hops to various times in the future, as Merry and Feron live their own lives and keep in touch — or rather, think about keeping in touch.
Merry is the classic good girl: “Was a person like Merry born with her character, or had it been built up brick-by-brick by people who taught her to choose the good, the kind, and the true? … God had taken pains to color all of her inside the lines.” She is good about sending letters to Feron — who is not so good about responding.
Feron lives a lot inside her own head. She’s a writer and editor, and even as she feels bad about not responding to Merry’s communications, she ponders “How could you feel so bound up with the idea of what someone meant to you, yet feel no urge to get in touch with the real person?” She lets a decade or so pass before getting in touch with her former roommate.
So, we get to check in on the friends every decade or so, and we get a lot of writing about them thinking about each other. We get a lot of thoughts about the books they are writing (particularly Feron). The book becomes pretty stream-of-consciousness in the second half and just didn’t really hold my attention much at that point, sadly.
I’m realizing that Godwin’s latest books haven’t been the wins for me that her earlier ones were. I loved “Flora” (2013), but felt “Grief Cottage” (2017) was a little flat. “Old Lovegood Girls (2020) joins the “flat” club, although I love the “feel” of Godwin’s books still. I’m pretty sure she’s an introverted, cerebral person, who I could relate to a lot in real life.
The book takes its title from Lovegood, the junior college where Feron and Merry meet as roommates in 1958. At Lovegood, young ladies are “removed from strife … they may seek the mental life.” I really enjoyed the first part of the book detailing the girls’ time at Lovegood. Due to a tragic event, after one semester their time together there is over and they head their separate ways. The rest of the book hops to various times in the future, as Merry and Feron live their own lives and keep in touch — or rather, think about keeping in touch.
Merry is the classic good girl: “Was a person like Merry born with her character, or had it been built up brick-by-brick by people who taught her to choose the good, the kind, and the true? … God had taken pains to color all of her inside the lines.” She is good about sending letters to Feron — who is not so good about responding.
Feron lives a lot inside her own head. She’s a writer and editor, and even as she feels bad about not responding to Merry’s communications, she ponders “How could you feel so bound up with the idea of what someone meant to you, yet feel no urge to get in touch with the real person?” She lets a decade or so pass before getting in touch with her former roommate.
So, we get to check in on the friends every decade or so, and we get a lot of writing about them thinking about each other. We get a lot of thoughts about the books they are writing (particularly Feron). The book becomes pretty stream-of-consciousness in the second half and just didn’t really hold my attention much at that point, sadly.
I’m realizing that Godwin’s latest books haven’t been the wins for me that her earlier ones were. I loved “Flora” (2013), but felt “Grief Cottage” (2017) was a little flat. “Old Lovegood Girls (2020) joins the “flat” club, although I love the “feel” of Godwin’s books still. I’m pretty sure she’s an introverted, cerebral person, who I could relate to a lot in real life.
May 8, 2020
It has been a long time since I have read such a fine example of literary fiction, a book that goes deep and wide into life experience. In this case it centers on the lives of two women we first meet as they find themselves to be roommates at a two-year women's college. That first meeting foreshadows the following paths the two girls take as beds are chosen. The daughter of the tobacco farmer/entrepreneur has been given a compass by her beloved brother Ritchie and she is hoping for the bed by the window so she can feel the direction of her home, whilst the quieter girl who did not have that same solid family foundation hoped for the bed in the corner.
Other people have described the book well, so I don't wish to detail events. *How it is that I have not heard of this author before I can't understand. I hope to read more of her work soon and must thank reviewer here on this site for bringing this book to my attention.
If you enjoy discussions of writers, the process of writing and the study of literature there is much to enjoy here from the teacher of literature at the college fond of Chekhov and on through the decades of communication between the two women as they mature.
*Correction: I did read this author's book, Flora back in 2015 so that was wrong.
Library Loan
Other people have described the book well, so I don't wish to detail events. *How it is that I have not heard of this author before I can't understand. I hope to read more of her work soon and must thank reviewer here on this site for bringing this book to my attention.
If you enjoy discussions of writers, the process of writing and the study of literature there is much to enjoy here from the teacher of literature at the college fond of Chekhov and on through the decades of communication between the two women as they mature.
*Correction: I did read this author's book, Flora back in 2015 so that was wrong.
Library Loan
April 24, 2020
It's not often that a book really reminds me of someone I know, but this one did. This book about freshman college roommates reminded me of my freshman college roommate so much!
Feron and Merry are paired together their first year at Lovegood College, a two-year women's college in North Carolina, in the late 1960s. Feron's childhood was... difficult, and Merry's was fairly idyllic. Feron has been rescued by her uncle from a terrible situation with her step-father. Merry grew up on a famous tobacco farm with loving parents and an annoying but fun little brother. Over the holiday break, Feron was supposed to visit Merry, but there's a tragedy and Merry doesn't return to school. Feron finishes at Lovegood and goes on to finish her last two years at Chapel Hill.
The book then proceeds to cover their lives over the next sixty years. Both bad correspondents, they sometimes go years between letters and decades between visits, but it doesn't mean they're not close, and in fact Merry really is Feron's best friend. Because of the time and distance, they sometimes don't know incredibly important things about each others' lives until much later. But neither take offense at that gap, and in fact I think there's comfort in knowing there's someone out there who doesn't know about the thing and can almost be a Schroedinger's friend, who still knows the person to be who they were before the Important Thing. Some of the important things aren't unexpected--marriages, children, illnesses--which is not to take away any importance.
I recently read an article that said college friendships are forged in the forge of hottest flame--when emotions are intense, anxiety high, and one can spend pretty much ALL their time with another person--and that's a big reason why they often last lifetimes. I'm not all that sure about the why, but I agree they can certainly last. Having just seen my own freshman roommate earlier this month (when I wrote this, not when it posted) I can attest that it's most certainly possible to have close, special friendships where years go between communication and Important Things aren't communicated in a timely way, and the friendship is strong nonetheless.
In this novel is was lovely to see Merry and Feron growing up, growing old, growing together while they're apart. Neither one's life turns out as expected (what does?) but they are there for each other when needed. It was nice to see echoes of my own friendships, and to see some paths the future may hold. Women's friendships are often strong, and we also draw strength from them. I thoroughly enjoyed spending these decades with Feron and Merry, and wished I could have spent even more time with them.
Feron and Merry are paired together their first year at Lovegood College, a two-year women's college in North Carolina, in the late 1960s. Feron's childhood was... difficult, and Merry's was fairly idyllic. Feron has been rescued by her uncle from a terrible situation with her step-father. Merry grew up on a famous tobacco farm with loving parents and an annoying but fun little brother. Over the holiday break, Feron was supposed to visit Merry, but there's a tragedy and Merry doesn't return to school. Feron finishes at Lovegood and goes on to finish her last two years at Chapel Hill.
The book then proceeds to cover their lives over the next sixty years. Both bad correspondents, they sometimes go years between letters and decades between visits, but it doesn't mean they're not close, and in fact Merry really is Feron's best friend. Because of the time and distance, they sometimes don't know incredibly important things about each others' lives until much later. But neither take offense at that gap, and in fact I think there's comfort in knowing there's someone out there who doesn't know about the thing and can almost be a Schroedinger's friend, who still knows the person to be who they were before the Important Thing. Some of the important things aren't unexpected--marriages, children, illnesses--which is not to take away any importance.
I recently read an article that said college friendships are forged in the forge of hottest flame--when emotions are intense, anxiety high, and one can spend pretty much ALL their time with another person--and that's a big reason why they often last lifetimes. I'm not all that sure about the why, but I agree they can certainly last. Having just seen my own freshman roommate earlier this month (when I wrote this, not when it posted) I can attest that it's most certainly possible to have close, special friendships where years go between communication and Important Things aren't communicated in a timely way, and the friendship is strong nonetheless.
In this novel is was lovely to see Merry and Feron growing up, growing old, growing together while they're apart. Neither one's life turns out as expected (what does?) but they are there for each other when needed. It was nice to see echoes of my own friendships, and to see some paths the future may hold. Women's friendships are often strong, and we also draw strength from them. I thoroughly enjoyed spending these decades with Feron and Merry, and wished I could have spent even more time with them.
October 16, 2020
From the moment I saw this cover, I felt like I had to read it – and it helped that the summary sounded great, too. Sadly, it was an instance where my biggest issue with the book is that it didn't really match its description. I was expecting "a powerful friendship" between "two college friends who have formed a bond that takes them through decades." Everything needed more development. Because I didn't see the connection between the two women, I didn't really believe they were friends. The writing was slow and literary, which didn't bother me until it became more stream of consciousness in the later parts. I'm just So Okay With It because I've thought more about what it could have been rather than what it actually was.
September 1, 2023
Old Lovegood Girls considers friendship, competition, intersecting lives, writing, regrets, and buried hopes. I think I have read five Godwin novels now, and they share strong similarities, yet they are all so very different. Her characters are so vivid, and each novel so meditative. There is always something to mull over when reading her work, and that is what I look for in a literary novel.
Read
May 11, 2020DNF’d at 62%.
Usually love her writing but just couldn’t get into this one.
Usually love her writing but just couldn’t get into this one.
June 30, 2021
This saga of two women friends is engaging while a bit melodramatic and mawkish. However, those qualities are good things since I enjoyed reading it. I went to a wonderful Gail Godwin reading back in the day when both of us were younger. This novel hangs its plot on the central theme of the ladies' writings and published novels. Some readers have commented on finding it a turnoff, but as a novelist, I liked it just fine. Their lifelong friendship evolves from their being college dorm mates through the years as each faces their travails with grace and resilience. Some of the prose is quite stunning. All in all, a satisfying read.
April 10, 2020
Old Lovegood Girls is the story of two very different women who form a lifelong friendship. In 1958, Feron and Merry are placed as roommates at Lovegood, an all-female junior college when the dean and dorm mistress felt they would be a good match. Merry’s positive and upbeat personality could be a help to Feron who had been through much family trauma. Both women have a talent for writing and the stories they write reflect their histories.
Through the years, each of the women experience their share of happiness/loss, success/failure and more. Throughout it all, its their friendship that serves as the glue to their lives although years and even decades go by with no contact. Yet each time they see each other, their bond remains stronger than ever. The lack of communication falls more on Feron who is competitive with Merry and lets too much time slide by. Though always close, each hold back secrets from the other. “Does anyone ever get all of someone else’s secrets out of them? I don’t think so.”
Old Lovegood Girls is a well written book but it moves at a very slow pace. There is a fair amount of repetition in the friends’ reflections and story-telling. And there is an overall sadness throughout the book. The best parts are when we learn about the books or stories each woman creates. And there are some very likable characters including Feron’s Uncle Rowan and the supportive female staff at Lovegood College who remain close to the women throughout their lives.
The premise of Old Lovegood Girls is exactly the type of book I seek so while I liked it, I expected to love it and therefore I am disappointed. This intelligent, cerebral book may be exactly what you’re looking for so don’t let me hold you back. I’m sure many people will feel this book is a perfect fit for them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for an advance copy of Old Lovegood Girls, which will be published on May 5, 2020.
Rated 3.5 rounded down due to its slow pace.
Through the years, each of the women experience their share of happiness/loss, success/failure and more. Throughout it all, its their friendship that serves as the glue to their lives although years and even decades go by with no contact. Yet each time they see each other, their bond remains stronger than ever. The lack of communication falls more on Feron who is competitive with Merry and lets too much time slide by. Though always close, each hold back secrets from the other. “Does anyone ever get all of someone else’s secrets out of them? I don’t think so.”
Old Lovegood Girls is a well written book but it moves at a very slow pace. There is a fair amount of repetition in the friends’ reflections and story-telling. And there is an overall sadness throughout the book. The best parts are when we learn about the books or stories each woman creates. And there are some very likable characters including Feron’s Uncle Rowan and the supportive female staff at Lovegood College who remain close to the women throughout their lives.
The premise of Old Lovegood Girls is exactly the type of book I seek so while I liked it, I expected to love it and therefore I am disappointed. This intelligent, cerebral book may be exactly what you’re looking for so don’t let me hold you back. I’m sure many people will feel this book is a perfect fit for them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for an advance copy of Old Lovegood Girls, which will be published on May 5, 2020.
Rated 3.5 rounded down due to its slow pace.
January 6, 2020
A story of the friendship between two college roommates that endures over the decades. Merry & Feron are college roommates in the 50's at a small two year women's college. Merry is forced to leave college after one semester. They sporadically communicate over many decades as they live their very different lives.
I found the book to be beautifully written but the friendship was so sporadic that I was surprised that they didn't drift out of each other's lives. There were relationships that they had that didn't seem to make sense to me throughout the book and secrets that were hinted at but never fully divulged and dealt with.
All in all, I enjoyed the book but I was left wanting a little more.
I found the book to be beautifully written but the friendship was so sporadic that I was surprised that they didn't drift out of each other's lives. There were relationships that they had that didn't seem to make sense to me throughout the book and secrets that were hinted at but never fully divulged and dealt with.
All in all, I enjoyed the book but I was left wanting a little more.
January 1, 2022
1.5
Fragmented and tedious. Too many peripheral characters and their stories that no one cares about, too much talk about reading and writing, and repeated phrases. Kinda stream of consciousness as it skips too much from one timeline to other. The friendship between the characters didn't convince me.
I liked the mentions of Chekhov and several other reference, but that is all. Maybe one star is too harsh, but it promised something completely different and what we got did not intrigue me in any way.
Fragmented and tedious. Too many peripheral characters and their stories that no one cares about, too much talk about reading and writing, and repeated phrases. Kinda stream of consciousness as it skips too much from one timeline to other. The friendship between the characters didn't convince me.
I liked the mentions of Chekhov and several other reference, but that is all. Maybe one star is too harsh, but it promised something completely different and what we got did not intrigue me in any way.
September 10, 2020
Woof. A LOT of writing about writing.
July 17, 2020
A great story about two women who meet in college, and a friendship that lasts across a lifetime.
July 13, 2020
My problem with Old Lovegood Girls was that it doesn't completely match the blurb. I wanted to read this because it's pitched as being about two girls in college who become friends but also have a complicated relationship. Add into that the college setting in the 1950s, and I was definitely intrigued. But the plot only briefly followed them while at Lovegood College and, perhaps because of this, I don't think Gail Godwin did a solid job of expressing their bond. I was initially interested by Feron and then found Merry more compelling, and some of the surrounding characters were surprisingly well done. But the writing...it was so repetitive—and I mean this literally, there were many instances where a character said something and it was mentioned multiple times, plus the dialogue often felt unnatural. Not a fan, unfortunately.
August 13, 2020
I have read several books by Gail Godwin and have enjoyed them. I ordered this new book from an Indie bookstore during Covid and was looking forward to reading it. It saddens me to say this is not a good book. The book is about two girls who meet at a private college in 1958. Feron comes from a troubled past while Merry has lived an easy life. Merry tells Feron early in the book that the worst thing that has happened to her is that her dog died. But tragedy does come for both girls who keep in touch over the years. The book rambles and often reads as stream of consciousness, and there are many pages from books that these two women have written which I did not care about. I was not close to the characters and the plots are slow and uninteresting. Save your time and money and skip this one.
May 26, 2020
I could find very little uplifting in this story of two girls who met in college as roommates for a couple of months, then hardly kept in touch (once a decade?) but each considered the other a best friend. The plot just didn't work very well for me. There is lots of repetition in the story telling, way more than necessary it seems. The girls were interesting but shallowly developed though much was hinted at. The first third or so of the book was quite good and promising but the remaining two thirds just sort of drifted passed. All major milestones (weddings, funerals, etc.) were recounted briefly after the fact so there was no opportunity for emotional ties to the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC to read and review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC to read and review.
February 6, 2023
Gail Godwin's still got it! This, her latest novel, was published in May 2020, one month before Godwin's 83rd birthday. Wow. If anything, age has made her a better writer because she takes full advantage of the perspective and wisdom her years have given her.
And that's exactly what this book is filled with—life wisdom that is practical, smart, and witty.
Feron Hood and Meredith Grace Jellicoe could not be more different, but they are purposely assigned as roommates in 1958 when they enter Lovegood Junior College for Girls, a very small school in a very small town in eastern North Carolina. Feron has a complicated and haunted past, the sordid details of which she secretly guards, while Meredith (Merry for short) comes from a stable, wealthy family of tobacco growers. The worst thing that has ever happened to Merry is the death of her dog. Feron is a former runaway, an orphan with an abusive stepfather from whom she fled. While Merry is open, cheerful, and friendly, Feron is guarded, dour, and reserved. Against all odds, the two become fast friends, sweetly taking care of each other throughout that first semester of college until Merry suffers a horrific tragedy that tears the two apart for years. But theirs is a friendship that just won't quit, and even though neither is tending it particularly well, they stay connected. How that connection affects Feron and Merry throughout the decades of their very separate lives is the real substance of this novel. Because they are both aspiring writers—and only one of them succeeds—theirs is a friendship that is always laced with competition, something Feron describes at one point as "envious competitiveness."
This beautifully written literary novel is propelled not by the plot, but rather by the characters—what they say, how they feel, what they do, and who they love. With fabulous insight into the human heart, Godwin fills the story with pertinent and shrewd observations on human nature, even when we are not at our best.
Two of my favorite quotes in the book, both said by Feron, are also underlying themes:
• "Secrets are the only personal assets some of us have."
• "Everyone should get what they want at least once."
This book was not only a pleasure to read, but one that gave me much to think about long after I read the last page.
Bonus: There are quite a few minor characters in this novel that are so well crafted with special defining characteristics that other novels could be written about any of them in the leading role.
And that's exactly what this book is filled with—life wisdom that is practical, smart, and witty.
Feron Hood and Meredith Grace Jellicoe could not be more different, but they are purposely assigned as roommates in 1958 when they enter Lovegood Junior College for Girls, a very small school in a very small town in eastern North Carolina. Feron has a complicated and haunted past, the sordid details of which she secretly guards, while Meredith (Merry for short) comes from a stable, wealthy family of tobacco growers. The worst thing that has ever happened to Merry is the death of her dog. Feron is a former runaway, an orphan with an abusive stepfather from whom she fled. While Merry is open, cheerful, and friendly, Feron is guarded, dour, and reserved. Against all odds, the two become fast friends, sweetly taking care of each other throughout that first semester of college until Merry suffers a horrific tragedy that tears the two apart for years. But theirs is a friendship that just won't quit, and even though neither is tending it particularly well, they stay connected. How that connection affects Feron and Merry throughout the decades of their very separate lives is the real substance of this novel. Because they are both aspiring writers—and only one of them succeeds—theirs is a friendship that is always laced with competition, something Feron describes at one point as "envious competitiveness."
This beautifully written literary novel is propelled not by the plot, but rather by the characters—what they say, how they feel, what they do, and who they love. With fabulous insight into the human heart, Godwin fills the story with pertinent and shrewd observations on human nature, even when we are not at our best.
Two of my favorite quotes in the book, both said by Feron, are also underlying themes:
• "Secrets are the only personal assets some of us have."
• "Everyone should get what they want at least once."
This book was not only a pleasure to read, but one that gave me much to think about long after I read the last page.
Bonus: There are quite a few minor characters in this novel that are so well crafted with special defining characteristics that other novels could be written about any of them in the leading role.
March 4, 2021
It’s 1958, and Feron has had a difficult life: her father died when she was very young, her mother was an alcoholic, and her stepfather molested her. Eventually she runs away from her stepfather after her mother’s death, and lands on the doorstep of her father’s brother, who takes her in and sends her to Lovegood College, an all-women junior college in North Carolina. It is there that she is matched with Merry Jellicoe, whose parents own a successful tobacco farm. Merry is open, and charming, and pretty, and outgoing, many things Feron is not. She tells Feron the worst thing that’s ever happened to her is her dog dying, quite a contrast to all the travails Feron has endured.
But during Christmas break their first year at Lovegood, a traumatic event occurs which breaks the girls apart. They remain friends, at least in each other’s minds, though they’re rarely in contact. Feron especially knows she should write, but for some reason she can’t seem to make herself do so. Even Merry will type up a letter to Feron and end up destroying it. Yet every time they meet in person, once a decade or so, it’s like they’ve never been apart. I have a few friendships like that, and they really are the best.
I enjoyed how Merry seemed to be Feron’s moral compass (in much the same way that Merry always carried her brother Ritchie’s compass with her). As someone who didn’t really have friends growing up, friendship doesn’t always come easily for me, and I would have loved to have someone like Merry to measure myself against to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. It gives me hope that Merry loved Feron just the way she was, in a generous and kind way, expecting no more than Feron could give to her — which to me is the mark of a true friendship.
Both Merry and Feron are writers, and as a result a lot of this book is about writing. Many of the characters are writers, and they talk about writing almost constantly. Were I a writer myself, I probably would have enjoyed that, but it actually seemed to detract from the story. At times, I felt like I was sitting in on a lecture on writing, and it’s just not something that I’m interested in.
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars, thanks to the incessant discussion of writing.
But during Christmas break their first year at Lovegood, a traumatic event occurs which breaks the girls apart. They remain friends, at least in each other’s minds, though they’re rarely in contact. Feron especially knows she should write, but for some reason she can’t seem to make herself do so. Even Merry will type up a letter to Feron and end up destroying it. Yet every time they meet in person, once a decade or so, it’s like they’ve never been apart. I have a few friendships like that, and they really are the best.
I enjoyed how Merry seemed to be Feron’s moral compass (in much the same way that Merry always carried her brother Ritchie’s compass with her). As someone who didn’t really have friends growing up, friendship doesn’t always come easily for me, and I would have loved to have someone like Merry to measure myself against to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. It gives me hope that Merry loved Feron just the way she was, in a generous and kind way, expecting no more than Feron could give to her — which to me is the mark of a true friendship.
Both Merry and Feron are writers, and as a result a lot of this book is about writing. Many of the characters are writers, and they talk about writing almost constantly. Were I a writer myself, I probably would have enjoyed that, but it actually seemed to detract from the story. At times, I felt like I was sitting in on a lecture on writing, and it’s just not something that I’m interested in.
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars, thanks to the incessant discussion of writing.
May 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️. This is a lovely story about friendship that spans decades. It’s a slow but touching read.
July 1, 2020
I chose this on the recommendation of the Washington Post, but especially because I attended an all women Southern college. I found some universal truths of nascent feminism, a pride in our "womaness," and an intellectual growth among us. There was a spiritual quality to this book, but I feel it failed on the friendship aspect as the friendship between Feron and Merry was so one-sided until the end.
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