Author: Shanjida Halim, Tanzina Halim

Abstract: One of the most accomplished fiction writers of the twenty-first century, the British writer Tessa Hadley (1956-till present), is known for her exceptional power of seizing the familiar moments in our life that we would normally not think of highlighting. She is the author of several acclaimed novels and short stories such as Accidents in the Home, Everything Will Be All Right, The Master Bedroom, The London Train, Clever Girl, The Past, Late in the Day, Free Love, Married Love and Other Stories, Bad Dreams, etc. Capturing the beauty of ordinary lives, she writes about the drama of everyday life: complicated family relationships, love affairs, marriages, divorces, and betrayal. Portraying love affairs or domestic issues is not new in literature. However, Hadley’s close observations of everyday life portraying the ways men and women relate to one another in her short stories find a new dimension for the readers. Readers are drawn to the themes, issues, and characters because they can relate to them. An example of a short story titled ‘Married Love’ published in 2012 in the collection of short stories Married Love and Other Stories, is discussed below.

Keywords: Tessa Hadley, Married Love, love affairs

Article Info: Received: 15 Aug 2023; Received in revised form: 18 Sep 2023; Accepted: 26 Sep 2023; Available online: 03 Oct 2023

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.85.13