Rebecca West, Anthony West

First editions of the novels The Return of the Soldier and Heritage, with a signed letter by the author Rebecca West.

• Sold as a set of 3: 2 books and 1 letter.
• Rebecca West (English) [Return of the Soldier].
• Anthony West (English) [Heritage].
• London: Nisbet/Random House, 1918-1955.
• The letter, on headed notepaper (48 Kingston House North, Prince’s Gate, SW7) is dated January 19, 1974.

The Return of the Soldier with Heritage, with a hand written letter from Rebecca West to publisher Hamish Hamilton, discussing her son Anthony and the breakdown of their relationship.

The letter in black ink, covering two pages reads:

My dear Jamie,

How kind of you to write me that long letter, recalling my ancient triumphs and the sweet nature of Tommy. What a sad, sad story about the Hardy’s mistaken severity [sic], particularly as Thomas Hardy was I’m sure kept alive by pleasant company, which warmed the chill of that dreadful house. It was a terrible punishment for him, to be punished for being a bad architect by spending his old age on one of his own house when he had justified his existence by being a good writer. Not fair. But what is? I am having a dreadful time over Anthony’s articles. You cannot imagine what it is like to see in black and white or as newspaper statements by your son about a fictitious universe. He went to only four schools, a baby school, one preparatory school for which I took him away, another which he liked and Stove. He writes of being shunted over the country from one shabby boarding school to another - including one at Christie (?) in Kent, which specialised in taking the ? of ? real people. I never heard of the place. I don’t know where this will end. Or rather I do. And hope I won’t live to see it. But one’s friends console one - and your letter was a great pleasure,

Yours ever,

Rebecca

Rebecca West and Anthony West had a complex and often strained mother-son relationship. Anthony was the illegitimate son of Rebecca West, a prominent British author, and H.G. Wells, the famous science fiction writer. Raised primarily by West, Anthony struggled with feelings of abandonment and resentment, especially regarding his parents' unconventional relationship and his mother’s domineering nature.

As an adult, Anthony became a writer himself. His roman a clef, Heritage (1955) portrayed a harshly critical view of his mother, which deeply hurt Rebecca. Their relationship deteriorated further after its publication, and they were estranged for much of their later lives. Despite occasional attempts at reconciliation, their bond remained difficult and distant until Rebecca West’s death.

The collection and specifically the letter, highlights the distress caused within the relationship for Rebecca and is of institutional importance.