London: Octagon Press, [1974]. Octavo, boards. First edition. Signed by Lessing on the title page. "A housebound woman witnesses the near-future breakdown of society. This is a meditative philosophical novel of considerable merit, but only marginally science fictional" - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 232. Filmed in 1981 starring Julie Christie. [Reference: Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-663. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions].