Second Home-Honoré de Balzac

Laura Willowes, forced to move from her family home due to the death of her father, endures her role as Aunt Lolly in her new home with her brother, his wife and children in London. Though her life becomes overshadowed by family obligation and domestic tasks, after many years she decides to reclaim it for herself - however circumstances threaten to christen her Aunt Lolly once again. Published in 1926, this feminist novel presents a critique of the established roles and responsibilities of women, delivered in a deceptively light-hearted package. (Summary by Shannon Sullivan)