AN IDLE WOMAN by Wendy Parkins

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ONE WOMAN CLAIMS THE POWER TO TAKE CHARGE OF HER OWN DESTINY.

1838, England: When eighteen-year-old Frances Dickinson impulsively marries Lieutenant John Geils, all her hopes for her future are quickly shattered as she finds there is much about her husband she did not know. A cruel and violent man, John keeps Frances in isolation on his family’s estate, while spending her fortune and preying upon their maids. 

Frances yearns to break free from her marriage but the law is not on her side. Only when John’s abuse escalates can she set in motion a daring plan to secure her freedom. 

A story of gaslighting, control and one woman’s fight, An Idle Woman is the true story behind one of the most sensational divorce trials of the nineteenth century.

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‘Reading it felt like falling through the cracks of time and witnessing a terrifying fight for freedom first-hand.’ MEG ELLIS, @megsreadingspot

‘Exceptional writing and precise attention to detail make this an engaging and informative read one should not miss.’ LEAH MOYES, bestselling author of A Polish Nurse

‘Powerful, heartfelt and affecting, this is an important story that demands to be read.’ EMMA ALVEY, @emmas.biblio.treasures