Why read The Invisible Woman?

Book cover of The Invisible Woman: The Story of Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan

Book description

Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan met in 1857; she was 18, a hard-working actress performing in his production of The Frozen Deep, and he was 45, the most lionized writer in England. Out of their meeting came a love affair that lasted thirteen years and destroyed Dickens’s marriage while effacing…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Invisible Woman as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Caitlin Davies

Author

Nelly Ternan was a young Victorian actress who spent 13 years as the (largely) secret companion of Charles Dickens. While his family knew about her, she was excluded from his official biography, and it’s only in recent years that Nelly has been examined with any understanding or sympathy.

The Invisible Woman is a hefty biography but written in a very accessible style. You can feel the author’s fascination for her subject, as well as her determination to restore some truth and dignity to Nelly’s life.

From Caitlin's 3 favorite reads in 2024.