To Love

In Short

Margaret Peterson’s To Love (1917) follows twenty-three-year-old Joan Rutherford as she leaves her quiet English village for London to live independently. Facing the grim realities of cheap lodgings, mechanical office work, and predatory suitors, Joan finds her idealistic notions of romance severely tested. Alongside her story runs that of Mabel Grant, who chooses a loveless marriage of financial convenience to protect her parasitic family. Set against the backdrop of world conflict, the novel contrasts hollow sentimentalism with genuine devotion, charting its heroine's journey from naive illusions to a self-respecting union built on mutual trust.

The Story

Joan Rutherford leaves her uncle’s manor house in the village of Wrotham to seek an independent life in London. Naive and romantic, she initially idealizes her relationship with Gilbert Stanning, an evasive man who makes it clear he does not believe in marriage and cannot afford a wife. Undeterred, Joan settles into a cold London attic, attempting to support herself by taking shorthand and typing lessons from a harsh instructor, Miss Bacon. She quickly learns how difficult self-sufficiency is for an untrained young woman. Along the way, she fends off unwanted advances from a dull fellow student named Simpson and moves into a chaotic lodging house in Montague Square, where she becomes unlikely friends with Fanny Bellairs, a buoyant theatrical chorus girl.

Meanwhile, in Wrotham, the local social circle undergoes its own shift. Dr. Dick Grant arrives with his regal, selfish mother and his long-suffering sister, Mabel. The Grant family is deeply in debt due to Mrs. Grant’s unceasing demands for luxury. To secure financial comfort for her mother and relieve Dick of the burden, Mabel reluctantly accepts a proposal from Mr. Tom Jarvis, a wealthy older man with a shadowy past. Though Mabel candidly admits she does not love him, Jarvis accepts the bargain, providing a lavish home for Mrs. Grant while Mabel stoically resigns herself to a marriage of duty.

Joan’s romantic illusions shatter completely during an encounter with Landon, a man who courts her with poetic gestures only to force himself on her, revealing his total contempt for her honor. Devastated and disillusioned, Joan abandons her romantic ideals and takes a job as a dancer in a touring theatrical troupe alongside Fanny. While on tour, she crosses paths with Dr. Dick Grant, who has joined the military medical service. Dick is immediately drawn to Joan’s quiet strength and honesty, but misunderstanding and Joan’s deep-seated shame over her past keep them apart. Joan believes her previous mistakes render her unworthy of a honorable man's love, while Dick misinterprets her distant behavior.

The outbreak of World War I brings these personal crises to a head. Fanny intervenes to clear up the misunderstandings between the two, explaining to Mabel and Dick how deeply Joan has suffered. Realizing his own folly in delaying, Dick seeks Joan out at her uncle’s manor house, where she has returned following her aunt's death. Recognizing that true love requires courage and forgiveness, Joan accepts Dick's proposal. They marry hastily at a registry office just hours before his troop train departs for the front line. Standing at the crowded station, surrounded by weeping families, Joan bids her husband farewell, transformed from a fragile, foolish girl into a woman anchored by faith, duty, and steadfast devotion.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Joan Rutherford leaves Wrotham Manor for London, determined to live independently despite her lack of practical skills. Gilbert Stanning lightheartedly dismisses the idea of marriage, leaving Joan to face the cold realities of the city alone.

The practical compromise In Wrotham, Mabel Grant accepts a marriage proposal from the wealthy Mr. Jarvis, explicitly stating she does not love him. She surrenders her own happiness to provide a luxurious home for her selfish, demanding mother.

The harsh reality Joan struggles through typing classes in a dusty Baker Street office, enduring economic uncertainty and awkward advances from her classmate Simpson. She eventually takes a room in Montague Square, where she forms a bond with the uninhibited chorus girl Fanny Bellairs.

The illusion shattered A romantic friendship with Landon ends in bitter humiliation when he forcefully kisses Joan and mocks her expectation of marriage. Heartbroken, Joan realizes her romantic ideals have blinded her to the predatory nature of her suitor.

The theatrical escape Seeking a fresh start, Joan joins a traveling stage company as a dancer alongside Fanny. During a performance in Sevenoaks, she meets Dr. Dick Grant, whose genuine warmth stirs her feelings, though her pride and past wounds make her guarded.

The truth revealed After a agonizing night of doubt and misunderstanding, Fanny intervenes, explaining Joan’s past trauma to Mabel and Dick. Realizing Joan’s true worth, Dick resolves to drop his hesitations and claim her as his wife.

The final farewell Joan and Dick marry by special license on the eve of his departure for the front. At the bustling train station, Joan stands composed and hopeful, facing the uncertainties of wartime with mature faith and love.

The People

• Joan Rutherford begins as an inexperienced, romantic twenty-three-year-old eager to experience London life. Her encounters with deceitful men and financial hardship strip away her romantic illusions, forcing her to develop a fierce pride. She ultimately transforms into a resilient woman who understands that genuine love requires honesty and courage.
• Dr. Dick Grant is an upright, hardworking physician burdened by the financial demands of his selfish mother. Honorable to a fault, he struggles with his growing love for Joan, initially allowing misunderstandings to hold him back until the urgency of war prompts him to take decisive action.
• Mabel Grant is Dick's quiet, self-sacrificing sister. Resigned to a life of serving her mother, she enters a loveless marriage with the wealthy Tom Jarvis to secure her family's comfort, maintaining a quiet dignity despite her internal despair.
• Fanny Bellairs is an uninhibited, warm-hearted chorus girl who lives impulsively. Despite her vulgarity and lack of polish, she proves to be Joan's most loyal and perceptive friend, ultimately bringing Joan and Dick together.
• Mrs. Grant is a supremely selfish widow whose grand lifestyle drains her children's resources. Completely oblivious to the sacrifices made on her behalf, she absorbs the luxuries provided by Mabel's marriage without a moment's gratitude.

In Its Own Voice

Joan’s vulnerability and stubbornness define her early attempts at self-reliance in London.

"Finding work was not going to be as easy as she had first supposed."

Mabel’s pragmatic bargain with Tom Jarvis illustrates the tragic trade-offs demanded of women lacking independent means.

"'Without love?'--her eyes besought him--'marriage must be hideous.'"

Facing the tragedy of wartime separation, Joan finds a quiet strength that transcends her earlier romantic illusions.

"There are some things that matter more than just loving a person, aren't there?"

What It's Really About

To Love explores the sharp divide between romantic fantasy and the discipline required for genuine human connection. Margaret Peterson critiques the limited economic options available to women of the era, contrasting Joan’s difficult struggle for independence with Mabel’s polite self-prostitution in marrying for wealth. The novel argues that true love is neither a passive sentimental dream nor a financial transaction, but an active moral choice involving self-respect, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Through the backdrop of World War I, the narrative underscores that personal happiness must be anchored in duty and truth to withstand the uncertainties of a changing world.

Why Read It Today

To Love offers readers an authentic window into late Edwardian social anxieties and the disruptive impact of World War I on young lives. Margaret Peterson writes with a direct, unvarnished style that avoids the overly sentimental traps common to popular romances of her era. The novel's strength lies in its unsentimental portrayal of working women in London—capturing the dust of typing schools, the noise of cheap rooming houses, and the weary camaraderie of touring theater troupes.

Modern readers should be prepared for period conventions, including occasional melodramatic plot turns and traditional gender dynamics typical of 1910s popular fiction. Mrs. Grant's overwhelming selfishness and Simpson's awkward persistence can feel slightly exaggerated to contemporary tastes. However, the book remains surprisingly modern in its honest depiction of female independence, sexual vulnerability, and the harsh economic trade-offs forced upon women. Readers who enjoy historical fiction focused on female resilience, early 20th-century social history, and realistic character growth will find Joan Rutherford's journey deeply satisfying.

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<Elicitation label="Analyze the contrast between Joan and Mabel's choices" query="Analyze how Margaret Peterson uses the contrasting paths of Joan Rutherford and Mabel Grant in 'To Love' to critique women's economic dependence and romantic options."/> <Elicitation label="Explore the historical context of World War I in the novel" query="How does the impending threat and eventual outbreak of World War I shape the narrative tone, character choices, and thematic resolution in Margaret Peterson's 'To Love'?"/> </ElicitationsGroup>