“Arnold’s knowledge of Dickens is impeccable, and she uses fiction to give Mrs. D. what she never had–a chance to interview her husband’s mistress and reclaim her beloved children. Beautifully written, entirely satisfying.”
—The Times (London)
“A fine work of imagination and compassion that offers up other ways for us to understand a popular genius and those who loved him.”
—Telegraph
“Fabulously indulgent . . . a lovely, rich evocation of the period that rises above the faintly damning ‘historical fiction’ label with its complex characterization and silky prose. A neat rendering of a celebrity marriage with all the pressure and expectation that courting fame invites.”
—The Observer
“A fascinating portrait of a Victorian woman in the near-impossible position of maintaining a sense of self while married to a famous, difficult, and wildly charismatic genius.”
—Metro
“With his manic energy and flamboyant waistcoats, Gibson is a Dickensian character–and no wonder, for Arnold’s inspiration for her wholly absorbing novel lies in the complex married life of Charles Dickens and his wife, Catherine.”
—Daily Mail
“I could not put down this compelling and beautifully written novel. A young girl falls wildly in love with a brilliant, sensual writer. As the years pass, he becomes a genius adored by all Victorian England though in his personal life he turns against her, banishing her from him and their children when he falls in love with someone younger. Slowly she calls upon the greater power of ordinary real love in the face of genius and moves forward to take back her life. I cheered for her on every page of this deeply touching story.”
—Stephanie Cowell, author of Marrying Mozart
"Arnold paints a vivid picture of the breakdown of a marriage, the selfish demands of creativity, the suffocating confines of Victorian society, and the complex bonds between men and women. Her compassion for all of her characters, no matter how flawed or unsympathetic, makes for utterly compelling reading."
—Elizabeth Hickey, author of The Wayward Muse
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