First published 1999
In the suffocating world of Edwardian England, Gertrude Morel lives a life of quiet desperation, trapped in a loveless marriage to a brutal coal miner. Her existence narrows with each passing year, hemmed in by social expectations and domestic violence. When she begins an intense affair with her son's teacher, Gertrude discovers a dangerous pathway to personal liberation—one that threatens to destroy everything she knows. Her passionate rebellion challenges the rigid social structures of her time, forcing her to choose between societal compliance and raw, personal freedom. She will risk everything to claim her own identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, historical-fiction, abuse, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: forbidden-love, personal-freedom, rebellion
Setting: Edwardian England
Period: Edwardian Era
256 pages · Paperback · North Point Press
Content warnings: domestic-violence