The Sealed Letter

By Emma Donoghue

Based on the details of a scandalous divorce case that gripped England in 1864, The Sealed Letter is a provocative historical drama that is strangely relevant to modern issues surrounding women, marriage, rights and roles.

Miss Emily “Fido” Faithfull is a “woman of business” and a spinster pioneer of the British women’s movement, independent of mind but naively trusting of heart. Distracted from her beloved cause by the sudden return of her once-dear friend, the unhappily wed Helen Codrington, Fido is swept up in the intimate details of Helen’s failing marriage to the stodgy Admiral Harry Codrington. What begins as a loyal effort to help a friend explodes into a courtroom drama more sensational than any Hollywood tabloid could invent—with stained clothing, accusations of adultery, counterclaims of rape and a mysterious letter that could destroy more than one life.

HarperCollins is proud to deliver Emma Donoghue’s internationally celebrated work into the hands of discerning fiction readers in this, her first Canadian publication. The Sealed Letter is the perfect book to mark this milestone event—a masterpiece that brings the force of a life that changed our world into captivating view.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9781443431798

Emma Donoghue

Born in Dublin in 1969, and now living in Canada, Emma Donoghue writes fiction (novels and short stories, contemporary and historical including The Pull of the Stars), as well as drama for screen and stage. Room, was a New York Times Best Book of 2010 and a finalist for the Man Booker, Commonwealth, and Orange Prizes, selling between two and three million copies in forty languages. Donoghue was nominated for an Academy Award for her 2015 adaptation starring Brie Larson. She co-wrote the screenplay for the film of her novel The Wonder, starring Florence Pugh and distributed by Netflix.

Reviews for The Sealed Letter

[rdra1962 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Annoying characters and dialogue, to many unnecessary details that detracted from the story, little insight into the characters or their behavior. Really had to force myself to plod thru this one!

[sianpr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Victorian melodrama based on the real case of the Codrington divorce that focuses on how Emily (Fido) Faithfull, a leading women's right campaigner, gets embroiled in the Codrington's divorce. An easy read that captures the double standards and intrigues of The Victorian era.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Emily Faithfull, a leader in the early feminist movement in Victorian England, is drawn back into the life of an old friend and then becomes embroiled in her divorce case.I didn't realize until I got to the afterword that The Sealed Letter was a historical novel about actual people and events. Learning that made the book much more interesting to me. The story is told from the points of view of the three members of a triangle, of sorts. Fido (Emily Faitfull) is an independent woman working for the Cause (women's rights) when she encounters--by chance, it seems--her old friend Helen Codrington, whom she thought cut her out of her life long ago. Fido is drawn back into friendship with Helen when she becomes an unwilling participant in the divorce case brought by her husband against her, a reluctant witness for both sides. Because of the shifting points of view, we get to know and sympathize with all three characters, who seem caught up in a scandal that becomes much larger than themselves. While Helen is the least sympathetic, as she is clearly cheating on her husband, she is still trapped in a loveless marriage formed when she was too young to know any better, and her husband takes away her children without even allowing her a final goodbye, underscoring how few legal rights women had during this period. Fido, despite her independence and self-reliance, comes across as too naive and trusting, as well as too much in love, something she won't even admit to herself. And Henry, the husband, is ultimately a man of principle, despite his cruel actions toward his wife. There are no winners here, but the playing out of the scandal and the legal machinations are fascinating.My main complaint is that the story takes a bit too long to get rolling, and it seems to get bogged down at several points. It took me a while to actually get involved with the characters. There is a twist at the end, but it's one that perceptive readers will see coming. I appreciated the great amount of research Donoghue must have done to bring these historical characters to life, and I enjoyed learning about a part of British history and the feminist movement that I wasn't familiar with. I will be sure to seek out more books by Donoghue.Read in 2014.

[gayla.bassham · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My expectations were low, but I ended up really enjoying this book. I liked it far more than I liked Room, in fact. The characters were well-drawn, and the milieu felt right. It's not a brilliant book, but it is a very solid, compelling, absorbing piece of historical fiction.

[sarahzilkastarke · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

For all the hype it's really kind of mediocre. Clinton era divorce in victorian england. It's a historical novel with all the dirty words left in. Really there wasn't much to it. Wife is a whore. Husband doesn't like it and divorces her. She enlists a spinster friend to help her out. Spinster friend isn't happy to be dragged into some sordid affair. There was a small twist at the end which no matter how frequently denied I knew was coming from about 20 pages in. Nothing was earth shattering. No character stood out as better developed. This book being based in fact just made it all the more disappointing that the characters were so 1 dimensional and uninvolved. It was like they were acting in a play instead of living their lives. I wouldn't recommend it. Leave true life to the biographers and fiction to the novelists. I don't know why I even try to read Emma Donoghue I never like her work.

[riida_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

brilliant! i loved every moment of reading it, more than i expected i would. made an instant fido faithful fan out of me :) and of emma donoghue.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghuethoughts and comments:This is a story about a woman suffragist who is sucked into an old friend's unhappy marriage and trysts. The effect that it has on her life is certainly not her desire.I found the courtroom drama in The Sealed Letter to be fascinating. It was so interesting to see how things were done years ago. And the Author's Note was very 'notable'. So much info gathered into so few pages, I hadn't realized that the book was based on an actual lifetime event and within the Author's Note I found several books that I will be checking my library for. Other than that it was rather meh.Some quotes:"She goes up to bed, and sits reading The Small House at Allingham to bore herself to sleep." hmmm"The knack will be, to it without saying it; anything wxplicit could rebound in our faces," the barrister goes on. "Admiral, are you by any chance familiar with the story of The Purloined Letter?""Four years after testifying in the trial, Fido mulled over her experiences with Helen Codrington, more in sorrow than in anger, in a bestselling novel called "Change upon Change". (wrong touchstone) The persona she adopts is that of a sober man called Wilfred, helplessly devoted and secretly engaged to his flighty cousin Tiny. "Women have so many natures," he concludes wistfully; "I think she loved me well with one." In the preface to the American edition of 1873 (renamed "A Reed Shaken in the Wind", Fido admitted."My main problem with the book was that I could not come to relate to or care about any of the characters, not even Fido, the main character. I did not dislike the book and I am glad that I read it. I liked it well enough to give it 3 stars.

[reader68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

historical fiction based on a real divorce trial in mid-l860's in Victorian England. This book takes a long time to get going. But when it does, it is absorbing. Read as an ebook.

[pamjw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fido Faithfull finds herself unwittingly and unwillingly caught up in first the affair of her friend Helen Codrington with an army officer, and then in the divorce proceedings initiated by Harry Codrington against his wife.Much hinges on the 'Unsealed letter' bandied about in court - what secret will it reveal, and which of the Codringtons will it help?This is an interesting book. Based on real life events and a scandal that played out through the divorce courts in 1864, it is informative as well as a good read. There is the historical setting of the British women's movement, and enlightening details about how the divorce courts worked in Victorian England. As well as that, it is a well-written and gripping story.

[carolinejyoung · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book but had difficulty relating or empathising with any of the characters apart from towards the end when I felt some empathy towards Helen's husband. Not as addictive as Room. This could well have been due to the era that it's set in and the language used.

[noveltea_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Donoghue certainly did her research! And she certainly could have left some of it out! (We really don't need to know the name of any ship the Admiral ever served on, let alone every single one of them.) I never had the feeling of being there in that place and time. But I often had the feeling I was looking over Donoghue's shoulder as she combed the historical record for interesting (and alas, not so interesting) tidbits. Still, this is by no means a bad novel. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. This story of a true Victorian divorce scandal is interesting and picks up momentum as it goes. The three main characters are each almost unbelievably stupid (and/or naive) at times, but I suppose that's a prerequisite for most scandals, and some revelations near the end showed me that I'd been stupid and naive right along with them.

[acqwoods · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Most historical novels show the reader the contrast between the past and the present. The Sealed Letter managed to both highlight the differences but also remind us that some things never change. It's the story of two friends, Emily "Fido" Faithfull and Helen Codrington and how they weather the storm of Helen's divorce from her husband. Just as it is now, the public is fascinated by the gruesome details of Helen's affairs and the couples' personal lives. Although it was slow at points, I enjoyed the twist on a traditional tale.

[joririchardson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In Victorian London, Emily "Fido" Faithfull randomly runs into Helen Codrington on the street one day. Years before, the two were inseparable best friends, but their close relationship faded away when Helen's military husband was deployed overseas, and Fido's letters were met with no answer. Now, Fido has grown up into a respected female publisher, and Helen is still the same married woman. After their chance encounter, the two begin their friendship where it left off, which had Helen unhappily married and Fido caught in the middle of the distressed couple. Things turn out not to have changed much, because soon enough Helen reveals that she has a lover and is still unhappy with her husband. When Helen begins drawing Fido into the affair, Fido struggles between being a good friend and with doing the right thing. Eventually, things culminate into a messy, very public divorce proceeding, which Fido is also unwillingly drawn into when Helen reveals a devastating secret.A snippet review I found online said that this book was about "British Law in the 1800's." For some reason, I thought that that sounded fascinating. I pictured musty courtrooms and piles of papers piled on desks, about to fall over. It made me think of meticulous detail and political maneuvering. However, this book was much more lightly written than I anticipated, and while it isn't chick-lit, it can get 'fluffy' at times.Within the first few pages, I was struck by the immaturity of the characters. Two grown women meet on the street after years of separation, and Fido snottily asks Helen who has "taken her place" as a best friend. This feeling continued through-out the book. I cannot recall exactly how old the characters were, but I know that it was closer to 25 than 15. That still didn't stop them from behaving like silly little girls. Helen was supposed to act this way, as that is the way she was written, but Fido seemed juvenile to me as well. She is portrayed as the more sensible, mature of the two, which for the most part she is. But she sometimes broke out of character to do something silly, which ruined any chance of her becoming believable.As this book is about early divorces, and women's legal rights in court, obviously there is going to be at least some feminist feeling. But it got pretty heavy-handed at times, and I didn't feel that it was well done.Rather than a book with strong female characters making their way through a man's world of both publishing and law, I got more a feeling of two silly girls running about bashing men.Fido runs a printing press that publishes material aimed toward women, a revolutionary thing in her day and age. She wears masculine clothing at times (wow - she MUST be equal to a man, then!). Fido runs her business with an iron hand, and the author seems to want us to think of her as a 19th Century businesswoman. I thought it suspicious that the few male employees Fido had were all either stupid and useless or conniving and evil.One thing I did like about the book was Helen. I wouldn't call her well written, but she was entertaining reading material. I rolled my eyes at her swooning over Anderson - it is pointedly obvious that all he wants from her is sex, but she is too naive to realize it. Helen is extremely selfish, and in the few scenes where we see her interacting with her two daughters, she seems to concern herself only vaguely with them, and in turn the two little girls treat their mother with an offhanded dismissal that Mommy is too "distracted" or "stupid" to bother with. Helen's abuse of Fido's friendship was appalling. She comes by her friend's house and then says that she has invited Anderson over (without asking). At Fido's horrified objections, Helen makes up a lie that she is planning to break up with him. Reluctantly, Fido agrees, but then she hears the two of them having sex in her parlor. When she furiously confronts Helen about it later, Helen leads Fido to believe that she was forced. Later, when things escalate and she is found out, Helen blames Fido, saying that if she had only let her keep meeting Anderson in her parlor (snicker), her husband would never have found out. You have to admit, Helen hasn't many scruples, and it admittedly does make for entertaining reading.I was truly shocked at how low Helen sinks in her lies to Fido during the trial. She truly would have said anything and hurt anyone - even her best friend - in order to get what she wanted.*Mild spoilers - you can just skip to the next paragraph* I was annoyed at the revelation toward the end of the book that Helen and Fido had had a sexual relationship in the past. It was utterly pointless to the story, and to me it just seemed like a gratuitous, exaggerated furthering of the whole heavy feminist thing that this book had. Already written man-hating, hearty women who always seem to outsmart every male in the book? Looking to go further? Why not randomly throw in the fact that these women are also lesbian at the end! Sigh.I like when characters refer to period books that they are reading, and here, Emily and Fido discuss their reads together. It was a fun, tiny little piece of their conversation, but I was annoyed at a small bit of inaccuracy. Helen says that her favorite scene in "Lady Audley's Secret" was when a woman pushes her husband down a well. However, there is certainly no such scene. I know this and I read the very same book only a few months ago.On the other hand, besides the tiny mistake, it gave me a good feeling to hear Victorian Londoners talking about reading the same books that I read today, and the characters mentioned a book that I hadn't heard of called "East Lynne." I thought that it sounded very good, and was pleased to find it was a real book when I looked it up. If nothing else, I'll have gained some new Victorian reading material from "The Sealed Letter."In short, though, this book wasn't that good. It was alright, I suppose, and the legal proceedings that took up the second half of the book were intriguing and not such light page turning as hearing about Helen's reckless secret meetings with her flippant lover. Average, I suppose.

[theprincess_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to read Room by the same author but it was unavailable so I "settled" for this one. I am so glad I did. Based in fact and set in the mid 1800s in Victorian England, it is the story of an unfaithful wife, her paramours and her friend "Fido". Full of secrecy, lies and manipulations it held my attention from the first page. This won't be my last read of this author.

[ladydymondz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the Sealed Letter wraps in reader in one of the most scandalous divorce stories in history. It draws the reader in. Self absorbed Helene an unfaithful housewife has the nerve to blame for naive husband for her adulterous behavior and in the process brings her faithful and naive friend in the pit of her divorce trial..A wonderful read

[wandering_star_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novel is based on the true story of a scandalous Victorian divorce - which featured in its cast of characters a stuffy naval officer, his much younger and flirtatious wife, a series of handsome junior officers, and - oddly - an early feminist pioneer, who had been a close friend of the family, but who was called as a witness in the trial. The details of the trial are on the historical record, but not the details of the tangled personalities which led up to it; and it's these that Donoghue re-imagines for this book. The trial itself takes up perhaps the last third of the book. It is gripping and exciting, and allows Donoghue to pull together all the threads of her themes - about how the same story can be narrated differently by the people who were involved in it, and the contrast between truth and justice (brilliantly highlighted in the chapter titles, which are all legal terminology, with both the 'normal' and the technical definition). Unfortunately, the story that leads up to the trial is not so well-told - it's rather clunky, with too much telling and not enough showing (especially in the conversations where the two women are talking at cross-purposes), and it's a little bit too predictable.

[casualfriday_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Donoghue's riveting historical novel is based on a actual English divorce case. Passionate, flighty Helen Codrington is unfaithful to her conventional husband with at least two men. She uses her close friend, feminist Emily "Fido" Faithfull, both to facilitate her affair and later to bolster her case when her husband sues for divorce. Nobody tells the truth during the trial, and the arguments and outcome are based more on the pieties of the time than on facts and fairness (that could never happen today, of course).The book is an engrossing page-turner. The legal aspects are illuminating, but what really shines are the characters. This is my second Donoghue novel, and she really makes her characters breathe. Now I need to read her most popular book, Slammerkin.

[kasthu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Sealed Letter is another one of those books I just couldn't put down--and then felt bereft when I finally finished it. Set in London in 1864, the novel is loosely based on a scandalous divorce case, and features facts stranger than fiction: a stained dress (sound familiar?), fabricated evidence, and scandal more scandalous than the sensationalist novels of the period. It's a novel in which supposed friends turn against one another, in which servants even turn against those they serve. Helen Codrington is a wife and mother, born and bred abroad, who craves some excitement in her life. Never thinking of what might happen, she embarks on an affair with Captain David Anderson. Late in the summer of 1864, Helen runs into her old friend Emily "Fido" Faithfull, a crusader for women's rights, who's surprisingly... conventional, all things considered. When Harry Codrington finds out about Helen's affair, however, the lives of these three characters change drastically. The novel's point of view vacillates between Helen, Fido, and Harry. It's a stunning, well-written book, which explores the way in which lies affect the lives of each of these characters. It's also a fair representation of mid-Victorian mores; although it's tough for us today to understand, divorce was much, much more scandalous and socially crippling in an era that placed a focus on the family and the woman's role in that family. It's strange, too, to a modern reader, the laws that governed divorce in 19th century England (for example, the two primaries were prohibited from testifying). Each of the characters is well-written, and Donoghue gets into the minds of each of the main characters with ease. She never tries to infuse this book with a modern sensibility. It's a compelling book that I couldn't stop thinking about between sittings and after I'd finished.My only problem with this otherwise superb novel is the fact that the letters are all written in a cursive script that's hard to read. But that's only a technicality.

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first discovered Donoghue back in 2000 when I read one of her best selling novels, Slammerkin. I was struck then by the richness of her characters, so well written that the reader develops strong emotions towards them. Most impressive however is Donoghue's historical research. The fabric, mores, culture and so much more of Victorian England are brilliantly and accurately portrayed.So is the case with The Sealed Letter. As in previous novels, the story is based upon actual historical facts and persons. We meet 'Fido" Faithfull, a liberal thinking spinster who runs her own printing press espousing her 'Cause'- Women's Rights. She meets up with an old friend Helen Codrington, who detests her older husband Admiral Codrington, and the restrictions society puts upon 'correct' female behaviour. Fido is drawn into Helen's world, but is naive and trusting. She offers true friendship, but due to Helen's machinations, is instead thrust unwillingly into the public eye in Helen's very messy divorce. This divorce case takes place in 1864, but believe it or not features a stained dress (sound familiar?), accusations of rape and a mysterious sealed letter that could decide the case.Donoghue captures the language, the emotions and the time period eloquently. The Sealed Letter is the third of a loose trilogy exploring Victorian society and life through the eyes of the different classes. Slammerkin explores the poor, Life Mask the very rich and The Sealed Letter the middle class. All are extremely enjoyable reads.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Telling the story of a Victorian divorce, this novel underlines just how far we have come in terms of women’s liberation since those times. Though slow at the start, it comes into its own as the court case begins and the prose becomes almost playful – making the most of prudish Victorian sensibilities about (whisper it) sex – and it felt as though it had been as much fun to write as it was to read. All the time the reader knows that the accusations aimed at the wife in the case are true, and yet the ingrained sexism of Victorian society – laid bare here – mean she has our sympathy. There’s nothing like a book like this to concentrate the mind on the hard-won progress that women have made, and the fact that that progress was obstructed not just by the self-interest of men but also by the attitudes of other women.

[jan0fleming · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis
After a separation of many years, Emily 'Fido' Faithfull bumps into her old friend Helen Codrington on the streets of Victorian London. Much has changed: Helen is more and more unhappy in her marriage to the older Vice-Admiral Codrington, while Fido has become a successful woman of business and a pioneer in the British Women's Movement. But, for all her independence of mind, Fido is too trusting of her once-dear companion and finds herself drawn into aiding Helen's obsessive affair with a young army officer. Then, when the Vice-Admiral seizes the children and sues for divorce, the women's friendship unravels amid accusations of adultery and counter-accusations of cruelty and attempted rape, as well as a mysterious 'sealed letter' that could destroy more than one life ...

The Sealed Letter is based on a true story, a 1864 divorce trial that scandalised Victorian England with it's titillating details of sordid trysts, stained clothing, accusations of adultery, counterclaims of rape, and a mysterious letter that could destroy more than one life. The trial, and tribulations, of the wronged vice-admiral Henry Codrington and his sexually rapacious wife is the stuff that even today tabloid editors dream of.

Emily “Fido” Faithful hasn’t seen or heard from her best friend Helen Codrington in years and then they bump into each other on a London street. Helen is accompanied by an attractive young man. Before she knows it, Fido is swept along as a reluctant accomplish in Helen’s obsessive extramarital affair.

Poor decent Fido is horrified by her friend's adultery but fascinated at the same time. When she hears Helen and her lover going at it on her sofa — the tortured springs emitting a “frantic squeak” — she’s both fascinated and repulsed.

I found it hard to get into at first and for one reason alone...I hated, hated with a passion, Emily’s nickname, it really put me off. Luckily I got over this... I loved it, the pace,the writing and you experience this delicious sensation of being sympathetic to the characters and the situation they find themselves in and at the same time cringing at everything they do and say.

The author says 'I see The Sealed Letter as completing a sort of trilogy of investigations of the British class system, from the desperation of poverty in Slammerkin, though the complexities of the genteel in Life Mask, to the bourgeois embarrassments of The Sealed Letter.'

A word of warning... “every friend one makes in life is a liability: . . . one must keep her as a friend forever or she’ll become an enemy.”

[moosenoose · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

What a let down. I'd heard amazing things about Donoghue, but this did not live up to the hype. Although partially based on true events, the story was slow and quite dull. Helen was an annoying, spoilt little bitch and Fido was pathetic and naïve, even for the age in which he story is set. I couldn't relate to, or feel any emotion for, the characters and couldn't have cared less what happened to them. A shame really as I'm a history geek and normally love these types of books.

[mrstreme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Based on the real-life divorce scandal that rocked Victorian England, The Sealed Letter is an action-packed look into the plight of women's rights and the scandals of terminating a marriage. If you ever wondered how difficult it was to obtain a divorce during the Victorian era, The Sealed Letter will answer your questions.The story opens with a chance meeting between two old friends - Emily "Fido" Faithfull, a women's rights activist, and Helen Codrington, a naval wife. As the two become reacquainted, Fido realizes Helen is miserable in her marriage and has wandering eyes. Helen tells Fido about how neglectful her husband, Harry, is to her, and as the story progresses, the inevitable happens: Helen and Harry separate, and Harry wants a divorce.Most Victorian couples who wanted to part ways didn't typically pursue divorces. Instead, they made civil and financial arrangements that kept them in separate households. While this is the avenue Helen would have preferred, Harry was out for revenge and willing to risk his reputation for a courtroom drama that would keep London hanging on to its every movement. For me, the courtroom scenes of The Sealed Letter were brilliantly done - a true page-turning saga that epitomized the imbalance of justice between husband and wife. Because Helen was accused of adultery, the lawyers got their chance to talk about sex in discreet terms. It was like listening to 7th graders banter in the boys' locker room. Parts of it were immature; other parts, were hilarious.What wasn't funny, though, was the misery inflicted upon many characters, including Harry and Fido, as this personal matter became a very public affair. Divorce was nasty business then - and for many couples, it remains tumultuous to this day. Thankfully, women's rights as wives have improved since then, but the fact remains that dissolving a marriage is hard on everyone involved. The Sealed Letter hits the head on this nail - repeatedly and effectively.I liked The Sealed Letter for its historical look on women's rights, marriage and divorce during Victorian England. Truth be told, I wasn't thrilled with the characters, especially Helen, who was manipulative and cruel. I don't have to like the characters, though, to appreciate a good story, and that's certainly the case with The Sealed Letter. Emma Donoghue is an excellent storyteller, and I think most fans of  literary fiction will find value in this moving story.

[woodsiegirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The novel is based on actual newspaper reports of the 1864 Codrington divorce: at a time when divorces were becoming more common, but were still rare enough to cause a scandal, a high-profile case like this was exhaustively reported.The Sealed Letter is obviously very well researched, and the knowledge that the courtroom dialogue is accurate as reported prevents some details from seeming overly contrived. For example, in the author’s note at the end Donoghue notes that one witness’ testimony, hinting at adultery with a reference to a “stained dress”, may seem like “anachronistic allusions to the Bill Clinton impeachment”; but is actually taken directly from the records of the trial.Overall, I enjoyed this book. After a slightly slow start, it becomes quite a gripping page-turner: the gradual revelations through the trial and Helen’s increasingly ruthless machinations made it a genuinely suspenseful read. I also rather enjoyed learning more about the legal position of women in marriage and divorce at the time. I was actually quite shocked to find just how unfair it was: I knew of course that women at the time were considered in law to be essentially the property of their husbands, but hadn’t realised, for example, that a divorced woman had literally no right to see her children ever again (this was the case until 1925); or that a man could apply for divorce on the basis of his wife’s adultery, but the reverse was not true for women.My only gripe, however, is that the two female main characters didn’t really ring true for me (unlike Vice-Admiral Codrington, who I thought was well and sympathetically drawn). Helen Codrington seemed like a caricature of a spoiled, bored socialite; and Emily Faithfull was just infuriating. She was naive to the point of stupidity, and the explanations for why she is so easily manipulated by Helen struck me as rather contrived. I thought her portrayal was a bit insulting to the real Emily Faithfull, to be honest, who by all accounts was an intelligent, accomplished business woman.An enjoyable read, and one that left me wanting to know more about both the development of English divorce law and the character of Emily Faithfull (the author’s note is very interesting on both these points!); but marred slightly by underdeveloped characterisation and a slightly contrived “revelation” at the end.