The Sealed Letter
by Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue follows the phenomenal success of Room with an equally compelling, but very different novel. Based on a real-life divorce case from the 1860s, The Sealed Letter is the story of Vice-Admiral Henry Codrington, his unfaithful wife Helen, and their erstwhile friend Emily 'Fido' Faithfull, independent businesswoman and pillar of the women's movement. As the Codrington's marriage collapses, Fido finds herself unwittingly drawn into the scandal, with far-reaching consequences.
Told through three contrasting narratives, Donoghue's cleverly-plotted historical novel blends gripping courtroom drama with a thought-provoking exploration of sexual politics, and the nature of female friendship. With nods to Wilkie Collins and Edgar Allan Poe, The Sealed Letter is a colourful, engrossing novel told with a distinctive lightness of touch.
Publisher: Picador
