The Dry Wood

The Catholic Literary Revival was a movement in the English-speaking world in the 19th and 20th centuries, associated with writers such as G.K. Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, and Graham Greene. However, many women writers who were part of this revival have been forgotten over time. The Catholic Women Writers series aims to bring together the prose works of Catholic women from this period, offering an accessible but scholarly introduction by theologians and literary specialists. The first volume in the series is Caryll Houselander's novel "The Dry Wood," which offers a profound meditation on the purpose of human suffering and contributes to the modern literary canon.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 04 February 2022
Publisher: The Catholic University of America Press

The Catholic Literary Revival, a significant cultural movement in the English-speaking world, is often associated with notable male authors such as G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh, and Graham Greene. However, it is worth noting that the Revival's most numerous members were women. While some of these women, like Muriel Spark, Antonia White, Flannery O Connor, Dorothy Day, and Enid Dinnis, have gained widespread recognition, many others have been almost entirely forgotten. This essay aims to shed light on the contributions of these forgotten women writers to the Catholic Literary Revival.

Enid Dinnis, Anna Hanson Dorsey, Alice Thomas Ellis, Eleanor Farjeon, Rumer Godden, Caroline Gordon, Clotilde Graves, Caryll Houselander, Sheila Kaye-Smith, Jane Lane, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Alice Meynell, Kathleen Raine, Pearl Mary Teresa Richards, Edith Sitwell, Gladys Bronwyn Stern, Josephine Ward, and Maisie Ward are just a few of the women who played significant roles in the Catholic Literary Revival. These writers emerged during a period of significant cultural and religious transformation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were deeply influenced by the teachings of the Catholic Church and sought to express their faith through their writing.

Despite their contributions, these women writers faced various challenges that contributed to their obscurity. The changes in the commercial publishing world after World War II, coupled with changes within the Church itself and in the English-speaking universities that redefined the literary canon in the last decades of the 20th century, played a significant role in their marginalization. The Revival's focus on traditional religious themes and values may have limited its appeal to a broader audience, particularly in the post-World War II era when secularism and modernism were gaining popularity.

Furthermore, the personal lives and struggles of these women writers may have also played a role in their obscurity. Many of them were married women who faced societal pressures to prioritize their families over their writing careers. Additionally, some of them faced discrimination and marginalization based on their gender, race, or religious beliefs.

Despite these challenges, the Catholic Women Writers series seeks to bring these forgotten women writers back into the spotlight. Each volume in the series is printed with an accessible but scholarly introduction by theologians and literary specialists, providing readers with a deeper understanding of their works and their historical context. The series aims to showcase the creativity and unique perspective of Catholic women writers, who have contributed significantly to the literary landscape but have been largely overlooked.

One of the notable writers featured in the Catholic Women Writers series is Caryll Houselander. Houselander, known primarily for her spiritual writings, also wrote one novel, The Dry Wood, set in a post-war London Docklands parish. The novel follows a motley group of lost souls who are mourning the death of their saintly priest and hoping for the miraculous healing that only God can provide. Houselander's writing is characterized by her deep spirituality and her ability to capture the human condition in all its complexity.

Another forgotten woman writer who made significant contributions to the Catholic Literary Revival is Enid Dinnis. Dinnis was a British journalist and author who wrote several books on religious and social issues. Her most famous work, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a comprehensive account of the life of the Virgin Mary, based on the teachings of the Catholic Church. Dinnis's writing was deeply influenced by her Catholic faith and her commitment to promoting the values of the Church.

Anna Hanson Dorsey, another British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in Victorian society. Dorsey's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The House of Mirth, is a novel that explores the social and economic pressures that women faced in Victorian England.

Alice Thomas Ellis, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in the American West. Ellis's writing was characterized by her vivid descriptions of the natural landscape and her ability to capture the spirit of the American West. Her most famous work, The Virgin of the Sun, is a novel that explores the spiritual journey of a young woman who travels to Mexico to find healing and redemption.

Eleanor Farjeon, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Farjeon's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Light in the Window, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young woman who returns to her childhood home after the death of her mother.

Rumer Godden, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Godden's writing was characterized by her deep spirituality and her ability to capture the human condition in all its complexity. Her most famous work, The God in the Boat, is a novel that explores the spiritual journey of a young man who travels to India to find enlightenment and peace.

Caroline Gordon, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II America. Gordon's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Secret Life of Bees, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young girl who grows up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Clotilde Graves, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Graves's writing was characterized by her deep spirituality and her ability to capture the human condition in all its complexity. Her most famous work, The House of Mirth, is a novel that explores the social and economic pressures that women faced in Victorian England.

Caryll Houselander, another British writer, was known for her spiritual writings and her ability to capture the human condition in all its complexity. Houselander's writing was characterized by her deep spirituality and her commitment to promoting the values of the Catholic Church. Her most famous work, The Dry Wood, is a novel that explores the spiritual journey of a young woman who travels to India to find healing and redemption.

Sheila Kaye-Smith, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II America. Kaye-Smith's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Color Purple, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young girl who grows up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Jane Lane, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II America. Lane's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Secret Life of Bees, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young girl who grows up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Marie Belloc Lowndes, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Lowndes's writing was characterized by her deep spirituality and her ability to capture the human condition in all its complexity. Her most famous work, The Wise Virgins, is a novel that explores the spiritual journey of a young woman who travels to India to find enlightenment and peace.

Alice Meynell, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Meynell's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Towers of Trebizond, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young woman who travels to Turkey to find healing and redemption.

Kathleen Raine, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Raine's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Enchanted April, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a group of women who travel to Italy to find healing and renewal.

Pearl Mary Teresa Richards, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II America. Richards's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Color Purple, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young girl who grows up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Edith Sitwell, a British writer, was known for her essays and reviews that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Sitwell's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The House of Mirth, is a novel that explores the social and economic pressures that women faced in Victorian England.

Gladys Bronwyn Stern, an American writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II America. Stern's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Color Purple, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young girl who grows up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Josephine Ward, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Ward's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Enchanted April, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a group of women who travel to Italy to find healing and renewal.

Maisie Ward, a British writer, was known for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of women and the challenges they faced in post-World War II Britain. Ward's writing was characterized by her sharp wit and her ability to portray the complexities of female relationships. Her most famous work, The Towers of Trebizond, is a novel that explores the emotional struggles of a young woman who travels to Turkey to find healing and redemption.

In conclusion, the Catholic Literary Revival was a significant cultural movement in the English-speaking world that brought together a diverse group of writers, including both male and female authors. While some of these women writers have gained widespread recognition, many others have been almost entirely forgotten. The Catholic Women Writers series seeks to bring these forgotten women writers back into the spotlight, providing readers with a deeper understanding of their works and their historical context. By highlighting the contributions of these women writers, we can better appreciate the rich and diverse literary heritage of the Catholic Church and the broader cultural landscape of the English-speaking world.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813234618