I Shall Never Fall In Love

This beautifully drawn graphic novel is set in the Regency era, turning the spotlight on a group of characters who would never usually appear in literature of that era. Hari Conner is queer and wanted to explore how young people like them would both conceal and reveal their sexual orientation in a time of socially restrictive mores.  To add to the mix, they delve into the murky waters of social class and Black history. Potentially, this could make for a piecemeal story but the narrative skill they employ blends these disparate strands into a cohesive whole.

Wealthy and well-connected husbands are an essential part of the lives of young women born in the early part of the nineteenth century. Attendance at balls, enthusiasm for tedious small talk and enduring the often unwanted attentions of a variety of men while waiting for The One to emerge are all talents which young women were expected to possess in abundance.  Conner gives their three young protagonists none of these attributes: instead, they create Georgina, who feels most comfortable in men’s clothes and in Eleanor’s company and insists on being called George; Eleanor, who finds the whole charade of courtship and marriage absurd and only wants to enjoy her friendship with George-and Charlotte, Black and dismayed by the fact that she must find an aristocratic husband when the love of her life is a simple farmer.

Conner’s wonderfully expressive and characterful drawings drive the story along and weave in the subtleties which make the characters come to life. The facial expressions created vividly suggest the panoply of emotions which the protagonists are trying to conceal and the chinks of light which reveal their true feelings. Eyes and mouths are particularly magnificent! This ensures that when the denouement arrives: George and Eleanor declaring their love for each other, Charlotte marrying her beloved farmer, the reader has been prepared and the progression seems natural.

Further sources of information and delight are found in the four illustrated sections added at the end of the story. The first is an informative Q&A guide to queer, trans and Black history in Regency England, the second is a collection of history ‘tidbits’ from the same era, the third a wide-ranging bibliography and the fourth is a fascinating glimpse into Conners’ preparatory sketches for the book.

This is a vibrant, beautifully crafted book which casts a new light on what would have been a secret community in the 19^th century, but which also has enormous relevance today.