Hallie Rubenhold

Guest: Author and broadcaster- Hallie Rubenhold. Author of 'The Covent Garden Ladies'; 'Harris's List
of Covent Garden Ladies' and most recently 'Lady Worsley's Whim'.

For more informaion about Hallie, visit http://www.hallierubenhold.com/

Books

Lady Worsley's Whim by Hallie RubenholdIn February 1782, England opened their newspapers to read the details of Sir Richard Worsley vs.
George Maurice Bisset, a Criminal Conversation trial in which the aggrieved Sir Richard attempted to
sue his wife's lover for an astronomical GBP20,000 in damages. In the course of the proceedings, the
Worsleys' scandalous sexual arrangements, voyeuristic tendencies and bed-hopping antics were laid
bare. The trial's verdict shocked society, but not as much as the unrepentant behaviour of Lady Worsley who since her elopement with Captain Bisset, defied all social convention by publicly flaunting her sexual conquests and mercilessly baiting her husband in the press."Lady Worsley's Whim" is the story of a marriage between two opposing personalities;a stoic,art-collecting empiricist and a passionate romantic. Their tale is driven by the consequences of a terrible error of judgement made at a bath house on a summer's afternoon. The aftermath of this 'whim' altered their lives, throwing them both onto paths of obsession,revenge,financial ruin, foreign adventure and revolution. For over two hundred years,their story lay buried in long forgotten newspapers,overlooked pamphlets,yellowing satires and uncatalogued letters. No other author, either past or present, has ever told it before. Impeccably researched, and written with great flair, this book presents a rarely seen picture of aristocratic life in the Georgian era.

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This is the story of a small,angelic boy from New York who is told he is the heir to an English Earldom and is whisked away to the English countryside where he begins to win over his bad-tempered old grandfather. When the boy's identity is challenged, his old friends from New York come to his rescue.

Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Alone in a new country, wealthy Sara Crewe tries to make friends at boarding school and settle in. But when she learns that she'll never see her beloved father again, her life is turned upside down. Transformed from princess to pauper, she must swap dancing lessons and luxury for drudgery and a
room in the attic. Will she find that kindness and generosity are all the riches she truly needs?

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big
Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until
they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house.

Howard's End by E.M.Forester
In "Howard's End", E.M. Forster unveils the English character as never before, exploring the underlying class warfare involving three distinct groups - a wealthy family bound by the rules of tradition and property, two independent, cultured sisters, and a young man living on the edge of poverty. The source of their conflict - Howards End, a house in the countryside which ultimately becomes a symbol of conflict within British society.

A Maggot by John Fowles
"A Maggot" is not a historical novel in the normal sense.It began as a quirk or obsession(a 'maggot'
in the archaic sense of the word) which found its setting in the second wave of Protestant Dissent in England. It took shape as a mystery - a compelling investigation of unaccountable motives and deeds - which led through beguiling paths to a starling vision at its centre.

Down and Out in Eighteenth Century London by Tim Hitchcock
London in the eighteenth century was the greatest city in the world. It was a magnet that drew men and women from the rest of Britain, and from further afield,in huge numbers.If for a few the streets were paved with gold, for the majority it was a harsh world with little guarantee of money or food. For the poor and destitute, London's streets offered only the barest livelihood. Yet men, women and children found a great variety of ways to eke out their existence, sweeping roads, selling matches, singing ballads and performing all sorts of menial labour. Many of these activities, apart from the direct begging of the disabled, depended on an appeal to charity, but one often mixed with threats and promises. Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London provides a remarkable insight into the lives of Londoners, for all of whom the demands of charity and begging were part of their everyday world.

The Resurrectionist by James Bradley
This book is set in London, 1826. Leaving behind his father's tragic failures, Gabriel Swift arrives to study with Edwin Poll, the greatest of the city's anatomists.It is his chance to find advancement by making a name for himself. But instead he finds himself drawn to his master's nemesis, Lucan, the
most powerful of the city's resurrectionists and ruler of its trade in stolen bodies.Dismissed by Mr. Poll,Gabriel descends into the violence and corruption of London's underworld,a place where everything and everyone is for sale, and where - as Gabriel discovers - the taking of a life is easier than it might seem.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is a powerful and sometimes violent novel of expectation, love, oppression, sin, religion and betrayal. It portrays the disintegration of the marriage of Helen Huntingdon, the mysterious 'tenant' of the title, and her dissolute, alcoholic husband. Defying convention, Helen leaves her husband to protect their young son from his father's influence, and earns her own living as an artist. Whilst in hiding at Wildfell Hall, she encounters Gilbert Markham,who falls in love with her. On its first publication in 1848, Anne Bronte's second novel was criticised for being 'coarse' and 'brutal'. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" challenges the social conventions of the early nineteenth century in a strong defence of women's rights in the face of psychological abuse from their husbands.

Les Miserable by Victor HugoThis book features many of the characters who are well-known: Valjean, the criminal trying to escape
his reputation; Javert, the police agent trailing him; the unfortunate Fantine and her daughter, Cosette; the rascally Thenardier; and above all the splendid street urchin, Gavroche. Among the unforgettable descriptions are those of the Paris sewers, the battle of Waterloo and the fighting at the barricades during the July Revolution. There are few more complete, or more vivid, pictures of France at the beginning of the nineteenth century. "Les Miserables" is at once a thrilling narrative and a social document embracing a wider field than any other novel of its time.

Coming up next week, Greg Stekelman- author of 'Year in the Life of the Man Who Fell Asleep'.