Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower

The Flame and the Flower is a 1972 romance novel by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.

I’ve read most genres of fiction but I must confess that I have read virtually no romance fiction. I do however think that if one claims to be interested in genre fiction one should sample as many genres as possible, and while this novel is clearly aimed almost exclusively at a female readership I thought it was worth taking a look at it.

This is considered to be one of the most important romance novels ever written. It more or less established a whole new sub-genre, the erotic historical romance. It is regarded as the first full-blown “bodice ripper” and the first modern steamy romance with much stronger erotic content compared to earlier romance novels. As the story unfolds bodices will be ripped and bosoms will heave. By the end of the 70s it had sold four-and-a-half million copies and it’s still in print and still selling steadily.

It’s also interesting in being quite controversial and it has many over-sensitive modern reviewers clutching their pearls. 1972 was a more enlightened time. It was a time when women were beginning to be open and honest about their sexual desires. It is the author’s honesty about such matters that leads to so much pearl-clutching.

It begins in the year 1799, in England. Heather Simmons is a well-bred girl but since her father’s death she has lived in poverty, grievously mistreated by her vindictive aunt. She thinks her luck has changed for the better when her aunt’s brother invites her to London where he assures her he can find her a respectable position in a school. Heather is rather innocent and discovers that her Uncle William and his associate Mr Hint are scoundrels. She escapes with her virtue intact but she leaves a corpse behind her. She flees, convinced that she will be pursued by the law and hanged as a murderess although she acted in self-defence.

Wandering in a state of confusion on the dockside she encounters two friendly sailors who assure her that the captain of the Fleetwood, an American trading ship, will be overjoyed to receive her. She is naïve and she thinks that taking ship for America might be the only way to avoid the hangman’s noose.

Captain Brandon Birmingham is indeed overjoyed to receive her and this time she does not escape with her virtue intact. It is important to note that he is absolutely convinced that she is a prostitute. He had asked his crewmen to fetch a whore for him. It does not for one moment cross his mind that she is anything other than a whore. He assumes that her unwillingness is feigned - that she is playing hard to get in order to increase his ardour. If one can avoid having a knee-jerk reaction to this scene then one has to admit that Brandon has no reason to suspect that she is in fact a naïve virgin.

As a result of this encounter Brandon finds himself forced to marry the girl. He is very unhappy about this. To complicate matters Heather is now pregnant.

Everything in this story hinges on misunderstandings, misunderstandings that could easily be cleared up if only these two people were not both so proud and so stubborn and so determined not to reveal the way their feelings towards each other are changing. Heather is determined not to allow Brandon to share her bed. He is determined that Heather will be his wife in name only - that he will give her neither the love nor the physical intimacy that marriage entails.

They hate each other, but it’s the kind of hate that can just as easily become love. And there is strong physical attraction on both sides. Sharing a small cabin on his ship they get to see each other at very close quarters. He cannot help noticing her luscious body. She thinks he is a monster, but a very handsome tall well-muscled monster and she is very impressed by his manliness. He is very manly indeed. Soon he is climbing the walls in sexual frustration but he still will not do anything about it even when she seems keen for him to do so. She is also climbing the walls in sexual frustration but will not admit that she wants him in her bed.

The author manages to make all this fairly believable.

There’s a mystery thriller plot here as well, which simmers in the background and eventually takes centre stage. There are several murders, wild accusations, some fairly decent suspense and some action.

It’s all very overheated and melodramatic but it’s entertaining. Brandon and Heather both have their faults and they’re complex and contradictory characters. They may not be immediately likeable but this is doubtless intentional - as their mutual affection grows and they learn to appreciate each other’s good points so the readers’ affection for them grows as well.

The Flame and the Flower is rather enjoyable. Recommended.