Harriet

Harriet Vane is a character in the mystery novels of British writer Dorothy L. Sayers, which feature her aristocratic detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. Harriet eventually weds the fine lord, but not after a rather long and torturous courtship. She finds him (rightfully so) to be rather snobbish and domineering, and resists him valiantly for a while. Harriet is an Oxford educated, independent young mystery writer herself, who meets Lord Peter when she is on trial for having poisoned her lover (no, not Lord Peter, not yet). Certainly she didn’t do it, and certainly Lord Peter proves her innocent. Somehow, Lord Peter finds her circumstances to be utterly charming and he immediately proposes. Thank goodness for the sensibility of the somewhat lower classes – she declines, at least at first. Naturally, fate throws them together in mysterious and murderous ways, and eventually Harriet accepts and becomes Lady Peter Wimsey, but only on the stipulation that they enter marriage as equals. Her altered state, both martially and monetarily, does not detract from her ongoing forays into the world of the genteel underground, however, and she and her lord partner on many more capers. Harriet also finds the time to have three sons, to soften up that stodgy lord a bit, and to live as if to the manor born. Our kind of gal.

Harriet is the title character of Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 children’s novel, Harriet the Spy. Harriet is eleven years old, lives in Manhattan and wants to be a spy; she dedicates herself to preparing for and writing about her future career. So far, so reasonable. But our Harriet is nothing if not honest, straightforward and intelligent in a no-nonsense kind of way – so – she writes the truth. She literally spies upon her friends and classmates and writes her observations in literal and factual, if somewhat less than flattering, prose. And they find the notebook. In short order, she loses the friendship of the two nearest to her, Sport and Janie, and the other children form a club that excludes her. Harriet, hurt and lonely, takes out her grievances in her notebooks, plots how she will get even, and begins to fail at school. It takes some adult intervention, but Harriet eventually learns the lessons of courtesy, identification with others, and the ability to filter her perceptions with grace and generosity. One day Harriet will no doubt make a superb spy.