Victorian Divorce- a National Scandal

In 1864 a scandal of huge proportions shook Great Britain. That scandal was due to a divorce case, which was quite new at the time. The Sealed Letter is based on this true scandal.

Miss Emily “Fido” Faithful was a businesswoman and feminist active in the British women’s movement. She was also a spinster (how I hate that word.) She ran into her friend, Helen Codrington by chance, or so we believe. She used to live with Helen and her husband Harry before they moved away to Malta. Fido got caught up in the details of Helen’s failing marriage and tries to help her as a loyal friend would. With mud slinging from both sides in court and the tabloids, can Fido keep her reputation in tact?

I don’t normally enjoy tabloid dramas, however this is an exception. I love Victorian era stories and Emma Donoghue weaves a good story. It appears well researched and her characters are vivid and come to life. Emma helps the reader see each character’s side of the story rather then just slanting it in the favor of one side. This makes for a balanced, well-written, and entertaining story.

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for the advanced readers copy.
4/5
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