The Sealed Letter cover art

The Sealed Letter

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The Sealed Letter

By: Emma Donoghue
Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens
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About this listen

From the bestselling author of Room comes a delicious tale of secrets, betrayal and forbidden love The Sealed Letter is a page-turner with a jaw-dropping ending.”(Stylist)

Helen Codrington is unhappily married. Emily ‘Fido’ Faithfull hasn’t seen her once-dear friend for years. Suddenly, after bumping into Helen on the streets of Victorian London, Fido finds herself reluctantly helping Helen to have an affair with a young army officer. The women’s friendship quickly unravels amid courtroom accusations of adultery, counter-accusations of cruelty and attempted rape, and the appearance of a mysterious ‘sealed letter’ that could destroy more than one life… Based on a real-life scandal that gripped England in 1864, The Sealed Letter is a delicious tale of secrets, betrayal, and forbidden love.

©2008 Emma Donoghue (P)2012 Macmillan Digital Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction England

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Critic reviews

"Very enjoyable." ( Independent on Sunday)
"Briskly written, deftly plotted and nicely ironic." ( Guardian)
"Blissfully readable." ( The Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
with a great story, plot and characters. i enjoyed it very much. and the information at the end was enlightening.

really interesting insight into times for women

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I really enjoyed this book. I thought there were one or two clunky references to contemporaneous inventions but the characters were engaging and the plot moves along at a great pace.

enjoyable read

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I loved this story. kept me guessing right to the end. couldn't leave it down.

Great story

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I loved this book. I wasn't really sure what to expect but since I enjoyed Emma Donogue's first book (Room) I thought it was worth a go.
The book had good pace and the main character was a believable strong business woman ahead of her time.
Would definitely recommend this book - had me gripped right to the end.

Loved this book!

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What made the experience of listening to The Sealed Letter the most enjoyable?

The suspense.



What did you like best about this story?

Its authenticity and depth of research.

Which character – as performed by Charlotte Strevens – was your favourite?

Fido

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Female Futility

Any additional comments?

I cannot believe that the author of "Room" (itself an excellent, nail-biting story) wrote this brilliant exposé of 19th century female subjugation in pacey, narrative form. The way she weaves her impressive knowledge of Human Rights history into such a gripping, emotive tale is remarkable.

What a versatile writer!

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An interesting fictionalisation of a real life case of divorce, women’s rights (or lack thereof) and the complications of a friendship that is mixed with desire and manipulation. Very enjoyable.

Great narration of an interesting novel

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What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better story, better written.

What was most disappointing about Emma Donoghue’s story?

The story lacked any suspense or pace. I was expecting a gripping courtroom drama based on a true story, but instead it was dreary tale of dreary people with whom I had no sympathy or interest.

What three words best describe Charlotte Strevens’s voice?

Charlotte's voice was interesting and clear and the story was well read; just a shame she had to read this one. I would choose another book read by Charlotte.

What character would you cut from The Sealed Letter?

All of them.

Any additional comments?

As a work of historical fiction it lacked the characterisation or story telling of other works I have read. It was neither informative, nor entertaining.

Wasted 12 hours of my life listening to this

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