“Give these letters to the British Museum so that the world may know he loved me once.” Poignant words, more so when spoken from the deathbed.
After twenty-two years of marriage and ten children, Charles Dickens forced a separation on his wife. He was the foremost writer of his times with a following on both sides of the Atlantic. His works, especially The Christmas Carol, had given him an iconic reputation, and he was regarded as the upholder of household morals. He could do no wrong.
When he became enamored of an eighteen-year actress and found his marriage distasteful, he forced a separation on Catherine. She had to leave her home and children. Later, he made false allegations and publicly denounced her through the newspapers as unfit wife and mother, and prevented the children from seeing their mother. The youngest child was but six.
However, the book is not about Charles or his secret mistress. It is Catherine’s story, it mirrors her suffering and strength, and gives a voice to her silence. $0.99 on Kindle.
