Books like Our spoons came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns

Our Spoons Came from Woolworths starts with the excruciating line, "I told Helen my story and she went home and cried," but the novel quickly veers into sharp humor and lively portraiture. Seventeen‑year‑old Sophia marries fellow artist Charles, yet her devotion to a pet newt and her poor culinary skills—"everything she cooks tastes of soap"—highlight the absurdity of her domestic life. Set in London during the Great Depression, the story follows Sophia as she struggles to make ends meet through occasional modelling while her husband remains uninterested in keeping the hearth lit. The marriage betrays and yet reveals the fragile, yet stubborn, woman who, through her optimistic humor, discovers a way to regain control over her life. A vivid depiction of social customs, marital conflict, and the everyday life of London artists, the book balances comedy and sincerity in equal measure. Themes and settings include contemporary London life, female artists, marital upheaval, and the socioeconomic reality of the Depression era.

First publish date: 2015