Book Review: The Sealed Letter

The Sealed Letter, by Emma Donoghue

Like the time period in which it is set, this novel takes a while to unwind and reveal itself, patiently narrating the daily comings and goings of its various characters.

Based on Codrington v. Condrington & Anderson, one of the earliest divorce trials in British history, Donoghue's novel shows she is at her best writing historical fiction with its roots in real life. This is one of her earlier novels, published in 2008, and focuses on two women at the center of the mid-19th Century British drama

Helen Codrington is the unhappy wife of Admiral Harry Codrington, part of an upper-crust family living well in a fashionable part of London after an assignment in Malta. The admiral also is unhappy and wants out. But according to British law at the time, his only recourse is to accuse his wife of the crime of adultery. Because she wants to continue to mother her two daughters -- and otherwise keep her good name and her station in life -- Mrs. Codrington denies the charge and must defend herself in court.

The second main character is Emily "Fido" Faithfull, an unmarried businesswoman and leader of The Cause, which is capitalized in the book. The Cause is women's equality -- such as it is seen in the 1860s -- and one of the issues is marriage and divorce equity. She is also Mrs. Codrington's close friend and confidant.

But as much as Donoghue is a feminist herself, the two female characters are portrayed as not very likable. (There are a few male characters -- the admiral, Mrs. Codrington's alleged paramours, lawyers, the investigator, and the judge -- but they are relatively minor and for the most part are not well described.) Admiral Codrington is mostly a stuffed shirt longing for glory he will never achieve.

Miss Faithfull is shown to be smarmy, repressed, prudish, and judgmental. At one point, she refers to her friend as "a demimonde." Mrs. Codrington is devious, flighty, untrustworthy, and selfish. 

The narrative plays out like an episode of Law & Order -- the characters are introduced, a hinting at some wrongdoing is alleged and investigated, the charges are brought and trial begins. It's quite a linear tale, crossing back and forth between characters, and giving some insight into their lives beyond the trial. But the main story is the trial as it played out, which becomes the focus in the second half of the tale.

And don't skip the author's note at the end. It gives some insight into the actual trial and what happened afterward -- and into the author's mindset in bringing the characters to life.