'The Sealed Letter' is an excellent work of fiction based around real events. Set in the late Victorian period, the story incorporates Women's Suffrage, scandal and the nature of female friendship.

Helen is a woman of 'High Spirits', stuck in a marriage to Admiral Harry Codrington, whom she abhors. Bored and craving excitement, she conducts affairs with young naval officers. Her indiscretions become a catalyst for a devastating court case, where reputations are all but ruined. Her single-mindedness and manipulation puts one in mind of Vanity Fair's Becky Sharp.

Emily 'Fido' Faithfull, Helen's somewhat dowdy, naive friend is pulled into an ever deepening intrigue, all the while trying to maintain her position at the forefront of the Suffrage movement. Her devotion to her friend gradually isolates her from her cause and she begins lose herself in Helen's thrall.

The novel beautifully dovetails multiple POVs, while setting the characters more personal struggles against a backdrop of Victorian social mores and conventions. Is Helen, the married, conventional 'Angel of The House', more forward-thinking in her pursuit of her own desires than the reticent Fido? Is there something more to Fido's unshakable loyalty to Helen?

'The Sealed Letter' is an excellent period piece. Compelling, thoroughly researched and must read for anybody with an interest in Victorian attittudes to women. Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Michael Faber's 'The Crimson Petal and The White'

As with all of Donogue's stories, it was gripping and incredibly well done, but towards the end it dragged on, partly due to how insufferable the characters were, which while I am sure was her intention, made it difficult really get into.

Like many readers, I was blown away when I read Emma Donoghue’s Room back in 2011. Eager to see what else she had written, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of it was historical fiction (right up my alley!). I eagerly jumped into this one, but I can see that others may find it strange in comparison to Room.

Why? Well, let’s look at the similarities for starters – both novels are based on a factual event (although I wish that this had been made obvious at the start of The Sealed Letter). This book is a little less sensational for the modern reader as it’s based on a divorce trial in Victorian England, which is not so shocking. Donoghue does her best to make the reader see just how sensational a divorce was at the time by the cloak and dagger methods employed by the main character. Both Room and The Sealed Letter have strong women characters and the events and secrets are slowly, carefully revealed at just the right moment.

But the differences? The Sealed Letter’s Fido is a bit dim at times compared to Room’s Jack, despite her being an adult. She seems to be a complete sucker when it comes to Helen (her alleged best friend and soon to be divorcee). Helen dupes Fido over and over to spend time with her lover, whether using her (or her house!) as an alibi. Fido becomes entangled in the court case and soon her character is tainted.

The plot I found to be a little more uneven than Room, without the extreme dramatic moments (but to be fair, the subject matter is difficult to match). At times, the narrative was slow, Fido had her head in the sand and Helen continued using her. But I persevered and I found the courtroom scenes to be interesting as well as the juxtaposition between the strong and weak females, versus good or bad. Is it better to be ‘good’ and ‘weak’ or ostracised for being ‘bad’ and ‘strong’?

There’s as many questions left unanswered here as in Room, but given the basis on real life events, I was expecting this. The Sealed Letter will have you questioning intentions, morals and why our society shuns some over others.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

Although this was easy to read, the story didn't really grab me. The historic details were interesting, regarding divorce at the time, as well as the factual notes on the characters at the end. The book, apart from the twist at the end, didn't feel very dramatic though, and the sealed letter of the title didn't appear until the very end. An OK read, but nowhere in the same league as The Room.

Good, but I think actually it should have been longer. The historical court case is condensed from something like four years to two weeks, and I think it shows. Somehow there isn't enough time for all the things that happen to feel like they realistically did happen.

Historical fiction based on a real divorce case in 1860s London. Not as depressing as Slammerkin, not as immersive or rich in detail as Life Mask, a bit hard to get into at first.

http://stitchingmystressaway.com/blog/?p=780