1 9 3 0 s ▁in ▁a ▁book ▁shop ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁began ▁writing ▁the ▁story ▁several ▁years ▁before ▁she ▁had ▁even ▁met ▁and ▁started ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁B ark er . ▁The ▁affair ▁last ed ▁ 1 8 ▁years , ▁and ▁Sm art ▁bore ▁four ▁of ▁his ▁ 1 5 ▁children . ▁In ▁the ▁novel , ▁the ▁multiple ▁pre gn an cies ▁are ▁reduced ▁to ▁one , ▁other ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁affair ▁are ▁omitted ▁entirely , ▁and ▁the ▁narr ator ' s ▁lo ver ▁is ▁bare ly ▁described , ▁as ▁she ▁focus es ▁on ▁her ▁own ▁experience ▁and ▁feelings , ▁which ▁was ▁rare ▁for ▁the ▁male - cent ric ▁literature ▁of ▁that ▁day . ▁B ark er ▁later ▁documented ▁the ▁affair ▁as ▁well ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁novel ▁The ▁Dead ▁Se ag ull . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁after ▁becoming ▁pre gn ant , ▁Sm art ▁returned ▁to ▁Canada , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁P ender ▁Har bour , ▁British ▁Columbia ▁to ▁have ▁their ▁first ▁child , ▁Georg ina , ▁while ▁continu ing ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁book . ▁B ark er ▁attempted ▁to ▁visit ▁her , ▁but ▁Sm art ' s ▁family ▁ens ured ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁turned ▁back ▁at ▁the ▁border ▁for ▁" m oral ▁tur p itude ." ▁She ▁moved ▁to ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁to ▁support ▁herself , ▁her ▁daughter , ▁and ▁her ▁writing ▁by ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁file ▁cl erk ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁emb ass y . ▁In ▁ 1