Maitland, Sara

(British, 1950– )

Maitland grew up in a large family in south-west Scotland, then read English at Oxford, where she discovered socialism and Christianity. A feminist theologian, she explores maternity, spirituality, and female friendship in her fiction and non-fiction alike. Begin with Virgin Territory (1984), a powerful novel exploring sex and violence. Its heroine is Sister Anna, a troubled, unorthodox nun who has come from a South American mission house to London, where life forces her to reassess her vow of chastity. Less turbulent but equally poignant, Daughter of Jerusalem (1978) is about Elizabeth and Ian, a married couple who want a child but cannot conceive. Three Times Table (1991) is a multilayered story of one night in the life of three generations of women. As is shown in Telling Tales (1983,) Maitland is an inventive, exuberant short-story writer, who often reworks fairy-tales and archetypes to celebrate her favourite themes.

Michèle Roberts, Zoe Fairbairns  JN