The case of the married woman Caroline Norton and her fight for women's justice

Esteemed historian Fraser, who has written biographies of prominent women, such as Mary, Queen of Scots, and Marie Antoinette, turns her eye to the lesser-known yet impactful Caroline Norton, whose very public divorce turned her into a crusader for women's rights in -nineteenth-century England. The granddaughter of playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Caroline was born in 1808, the middle sister of three known for their charm and beauty. After the tragic death of the man she'd hoped to marry, Caroline wed George Norton, the politically ambitious second son of an English lord. Their union produced three sons, but Norton's physical abuse of Caroline made the marriage an unhappy one, and when Caroline formed a deep friendship with widowed Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, Norton cut Caroline off from their children and sued Melbourne for adultery. Caroline lobbied politicians to change the laws that gave women no rights to their own children or money. Drawing from Caroline's letters and other contemporary texts, Fraser shines a light on the struggles Caroline endured in her efforts to reunite with her children and navigate her financial status within a system that granted control of all of her funds, even money she earned with her pen, to her estranged husband as she maintained a successful career as a writer. Enlightening and inspiring.

Historian and novelist Fraser (The King and the Catholics) delivers an informative biography of author and women's rights activist Caroline Norton (née Sheridan; 1808--1877). Married to Tory MP George Norton at age 19, Caroline's sardonic wit and exotic beauty made her one of London's most popular salon hosts. Though George relied on Caroline's social connections to help advance his political career, he grew jealous of her many male admirers, including prime minister Lord Melbourne, and physically assaulted her. When the marriage fell apart in 1836, George sued Lord Melbourne for damages due to "criminal conversation," or adultery. Though he lost that case, English law entitled Norton to full custody of the couple's three children and the proceeds from Caroline's writing. In response, Caroline launched a vociferous campaign on behalf of the rights of married women, helping to win passage of the 1839 Infant Custody Act and the 1857 Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill, which shifted divorce rulings from ecclesiastical to secular courts and allowed separated women to "hold property in their own names and sign contracts." Fraser's vivid character sketches and incisive analysis of legal, political, and rhetorical matters result in a winning study of an indefatigable crusader who turned a personal tragedy into a public triumph. (May)

An eminent British historical biographer tells the story of how a mistreated wife and writer helped bring about reform to laws governing married women's personal and economic rights. In 19th-century Britain, when women like famed writer Caroline Norton (1808-1877) married, they automatically lost the rights to all their assets--including those they earned--as well as the legal rights to future children. Men owned everything and everyone, both literally and figuratively. Norton came to know these hardships intimately over her long, colorful life. The granddaughter of celebrated playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Caroline quickly earned a reputation for both her beauty and her wit. At 19, still in mourning over the death of her first love, she married George Norton, who became her lifelong nemesis. His cruelty manifested early on in the marriage, and he "took to kicking his wife, pushing and shoving her, when she displeased him in some way. These attacks would be accompanied by an admonishment generally referring to her lack of respect for her husband." Rather than let herself become a victim, Caroline flourished in her other pursuits as the hostess of a salon that included such luminaries as Lord Melbourne, the young Queen Victoria's political mentor. When Caroline finally left her husband in 1836, he charged her with adultery and took their children with him. Though she was in a precarious financial position, Caroline used her political connections, influence, and pen to champion the Infant Custody Act of 1839, which granted women custody of their children up to age 7. Over the next two decades, Caroline continued the fight for legal rights for women, engaging in battles for the right to divorce and laying the groundwork for legislation to protect women's property rights. This engagingly written, rigorously researched book will appeal to both feminist historians and readers who enjoy well-crafted portraits of historical figures who deserve more attention. An intelligently illuminating biography and cultural history. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.