Correspondence,, 1955-1979

Summary: This series consists ofletters received by Janet Hobhouse's mother Frances Hobhouse (1925-1979) from the 1950s until her death in 1979. Most of the letters are written by Janet Hobhouse herself, although other correspondents such as Frances' sister Jean Liedloff and her aunt Frances Bolton are also represented. Janet's letters to her mother include detailed descriptions of life at an English boarding school and at Oxford University during the 1960s. She also describes her relations with her father, Henry "Tom" Hobhouse, her stepmother Pam and stepbrothers. When she lived in England during the 1970s she wrote to her mother describing her many friends, travels, and the beginnings ofliterary success. Unfortunately Frances Hobhouse suffered from severe depression which made her unable to hold a job and eventually led her to commit suicide. Many of Janet's letters show her concern with her mother's mental state and financial problems.