Sex, Intrigue, and Women's Lives in 19th Century England

My new friend T. highly recommended "The Sealed Letter" (Harcourt, 2008), by Emma Donoghue. I am not a huge reader of historical fiction, but after starting this novel and then not being able to put it down until I finished it, I completely agree with her recommendation. Set in 1864 in London, the novel is loosely based on a true case of a notorious sexual scandal and divorce at a time when divorce was extremely rare. The novel portrays the limited lives and rights of women at the time, and the rigid constraints on their behavior -- the main "theme"; in addition, it portrays the small community of women working for women's rights, the psychologically complex interlocking lives of the four main characters (including one very manipulative character in a beautiful guise), the insidious influences of evil on innocence, the sexual mores of the time, and the intricate British legal system. But beyond being "about" the topics above, this is a gripping, suspenseful novel with surprises around every corner, up to the very end of the novel. "The Sealed Letter" is very well-written, by an author in complete command of her material.