Tysons by May Sinclair is a fascinating exploration of the complexities of family dynamics and societal expectations in early 20th century England. The story follows the Tysons, a wealthy and aristocratic family, as they navigate the shifting sands of their relationships and the broader changes happening in society.

Sinclair’s writing is exquisite, capturing the nuances of each character’s thoughts and feelings with precision and insight. The characters themselves are richly drawn and deeply human, each struggling with their own desires and fears amidst the constraints of their social status.

The novel is at once a gripping family drama and a sharp critique of the rigid class structures of the time. Sinclair deftly weaves together themes of love, duty, and identity, creating a compelling and thought-provoking story that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

Overall, Tysons is a beautifully written and compelling novel that offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of a family caught between tradition and modernity. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and character-driven storytelling.

Book Description:
Another frank May Sinclair exploration of fin de siècle English love and sex, marriage and adultery, "The Tysons" is the story of the caddish Nevill Tyson and his beautiful but frivolous young wife Molly. Sinclair uses a different narrative voice than we hear in much of her fiction, a sort of witty Jane Austen archness as she dissects the characters of the provincial village Drayton Parva. As always, she demonstrates an intriguing mixture of Victorian prudishness and modern free-thinking, particularly in her rendering of the sexual escapades of her characters. The step-by-step fragmentation of the Tyson marriage seems predestined from the start, but the novel reveals, as Sinclair's novels always do, a passion for profound understanding of the human comedy and why we do what we do. Even though the story is told from the perspectives of mostly masculine characters, Sinclair uses their voices to shine a stark light on the many ways in which women were victimized at the time by being the chattel of the men in their lives, in particular the denigration of the female intellect in favor of the merely decorative feminine beauty which existed only for the male ego.