Charles Dickens's Secret Lovechild (Hardback)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a new author and I was intrigued by the write up.
A fascinating, well researched offering.

Well worth a read.

NetGalley, Maria Martignetti

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fascinating. I was unaware of Ellen Ternan and the allegation that she was Dickens’ mistress. In the spirit of Gradgrind, the author bases his views on facts and draws a different conclusion. I feel confident that the author’s career as a research scientist leaves him well equipped to gather facts, apply analytical skills and form a different and more challenging view. His insight is forensic in detail and I believe his reappraisal is worthy of consideration. He gives a brief overview of Dickens and I was interested to note that current views about the relationship with Ellen are based on two rather dated and skewed biographies. Both concluded she was his mistress, but facts to support that are thin. Ruck looks at Ellen’s life in earlier years and draws on resources already in the public domain. These include letters, literary references, other biographies, contemporaneous records and more. There's a comprehensive index and a number of interesting photos and pictures which give further context to his conclusions. It’s not definitive but in addition to presenting a plausible alternative, it also adds to the pleasure of reading Dickens. There are numerous literary references which add to the text. A great read all round.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas