Heart of Rachael

The Heart of Rachael is a novel by Kathleen Thompson Norris, a prolific American novelist and newspaper columnist known for her works exploring themes of marriage, family, and social issues in the early 20th century. Published in 1916, this novel is one of her earlier works and reflects her keen observations of human relationships and societal expectations.

The story revolves around Rachael, a beautiful and intelligent woman who marries Clarence Breckenridge, a wealthy but weak-willed man. Their marriage quickly deteriorates due to Clarence's alcoholism and irresponsibility. Despite her efforts to reform him, Rachael finds herself trapped in an unhappy union.

When Rachael meets Gregory Valentine, a kind and principled doctor, she begins to question her life and choices. Gregory represents everything Clarence is not-strong, compassionate, and morally upright. As Rachael's emotional connection with Gregory deepens, she faces a moral dilemma: Should she remain in her miserable marriage for the sake of propriety, or should she pursue true love and happiness, even if it means defying societal norms?

The Heart of Rachael was well-received for its emotional depth and social commentary. While some critics found her writing sentimental by modern standards, her exploration of women's struggles in restrictive marriages resonated with many readers.

About the Author

Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 - January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. Norris was a prolific writer who wrote 93 novels, many of which became best sellers. Her stories appeared frequently in the popular press of the day, including Atlantic, The American Magazine, McClure's, Everybody's, Ladies' Home Journal and Woman's Home Companion. Norris used her fiction to promote family and moralistic values, such as the sanctity of marriage, the nobility of motherhood, and the importance of service to others.

Kathleen Thompson Norris was born in San Francisco, California on 16 July 1880. Her parents were Josephine (née Moroney) and James Alden Thompson. When she was 19 both her parents died. As the oldest sibling she became effectively the head of a large family and had to work. Initially, she found employment in a department store, which was soon followed by work in an accounting office and then the Mechanic's Institute Library. In 1905, she enrolled in a creative writing program at the University of California, Berkeley and began writing short stories. The San Francisco Call, which had published a few of her stories, hired her to write a society column in September 1906. In the course of that work she met Charles Gilman Norris (whose late older brother was the famous novelist Frank Norris), and they soon fell in love. He moved to New York to be art editor of The American Magazine. After eight months of daily correspondence and some improvements in her family's financial situation, she joined him there and they were married in April 1909.

Norris became involved in various social causes, including women's suffrage, Prohibition, pacifism, and organizations to benefit children and the poor.

Kathleen Thompson Norris died January 18, 1966 in San Francisco at the home of her son Dr. Frank Norris. She was 85. (wikipedia.org)