GIRL IN A BLUE DRESS

Author: Gaynor Arnold ISBN: 9780307462268 7/2009 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: CROWN
Time Period: Victorian

Beloved writer Alfred Gibson’s funeral has all of London in tears. Yet his very own wife is not in attendance and his once-favorite daughter is begrudgingly present. Dorothea has, in fact, not been invited—estranged for years from her husband, left for a young mistress and now practically absent from his will. Living a life in recluse, she is not even in touch with seven of her children, or her sister—all of whom were turned against her by the great Gibson when he declared her publicly an unfit mother. Yet, Dorothea cannot bring herself to demonize Alfred, choosing instead to revisit their courtship and their early days of nuptial pleasure—before the birth of too many children sapped her vitality. Now, alone, but for her feisty daughter, Kitty, she begins to rethink her life—and Alfred’s will forces her to face her grown-up children, the sister who betrayed her, and the charming actress who claimed her husband’s love and left her heart aching.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

A fictionalized story based upon the real-life marriage of Charles and Catherine Dickens, I admit I approached GIRL IN A BLUE DRESS with more than a little apprehension and trepidation. I'm a big fan of Dicken's stories and very well aware of the woeful story of his marriage; and to be honest, I wasn't sure that I wanted to revisit that part of his life in a story where I already have a bias and so many sympathetic feelings toward the real-life wife in that marriage. But, I decided to forge ahead and read it anyway, and I can honestly say I am very glad I did.

Gaynor Arnold tells the story of Alfred's (Charles') and Dorothea's (Catherine's) marriage through Dorothea's eyes, and her version of the events that lead to its decay is eye opening, to say the least. Dorothea's emotional and physical insecurities, as well as her low self esteem and timidness, only become more heightened as the years wear on. Yet her devotion to a self-centered, selfish, egotistical husband with a need for complete domination and control and an over-obsession with money, never seems to waver. That she would give up her life for him, do his bidding, if only it makes him happy, shows just how one-sided their relationship over a 40-year period of marriage would eventually come to be.

Ms. Arnold does a superb job with this, her debut book, by inviting us into the heart and mind of a Victorian era woman who is in deep, emotional pain. To watch as Dorothea gives up her brood of children; to know that the man she has devoted her heart, her life to, will never look upon her with kindness and love again, was almost more than even I could bear. To watch as Dorothea's sister eventually overrules her, helping to set the stage for the events that will take away her husband, her children, and throw her into a life of poverty and totally dependent upon the whims of her husband, is not a pleasant thing to read. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to stand up for Dorothea—no, make her stand up to all those who had hurt and betrayed her—and yet, not until Alfred is dead and buried does Dorothea make that stand for herself, for she'll let nothing come between her deep devotion and love for Alfred, not even death itself.

Despite what sounds like a gloom filled review, I really did like this book. The historical backdrop of Victorian England spanning over several decades, the Dickens-like side stories, the characters and flashbacks to happier times all told in Dorothea's voice, are superbly written and never let the reader wander for a minute, and I can see why GIRL IN A BLUE DRESS garnered so many awards in its 2008 release in the U.K.. I don't know what type of book Ms. Arnold's planning on for her next release, but whatever it happens to be, I very much look forward to reading it.

Nancy Davis