The Daughters of the Late Colonel by Katherine Mansfield

After the death of their controlling father, two middle-aged sisters, Josephine and Constantia, find themselves free yet unable to grasp what freedom means. As they try to make decisions—about his funeral, his belongings, and their future—they remain trapped in habits of deference and hesitation. The plot unfolds through their confused conversations and unresolved emotions. Beneath the quiet domesticity lies a powerful portrait of repressed lives. It’s a subtle, tragicomic exploration of dependence, lost time, and the paralysis of long-term submission.