For All Your Life by Emilie Loring is certainly a product of the times in which it was written and published. Set in New England in the fall, with the backdrop of Korea and communism in America at the core of the story, Mrs. Loring's patriotism is unabashedly present.
I began reading Mrs. Loring's books perhaps about 1973, as Mama and Granmama considered them appropriate reading for a young lady of good breeding making the transition from juvenile to adult books. Granmama had been born in the late 1800's, and Mama in 1916, and Mrs. Loring's books had a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of romance, and a big helping of girls in their teens and twenties coming to terms with the need to be true to themselves at all costs.
Anne Kendrick has inherited a large estate from a woman she has never met who appreciated the acting talent of Anne's deceased father. When Anne arrives at her new home, things are not what they seem to be on the surface. She struggles to learn who she can trust, what is truth and what is fallacy, and the best course of action for her life.
Mrs. Loring's books reflect the times and society in which they were written. The romance is very innocent in its description...brief hand holding and a wish for a kiss...and perhaps a kiss after all. Society with its country clubs...servants and their roles is described.
I am a spinster of long standing. When I was in university many decades ago I was able to incorporate my love for oral history and women's studies into my degree plan. Granmama had been a suffragette in her time, and the study of history and women's place in it has always been fascinating to me. In Mrs. Loring's books, we see girls become women, and girls who play games to "catch" a wealthy and influential man contrasted with girls who try to play the game but keep reverting back to their true nature of honesty and integrity.