Lorna C. (cookiemonster71) reviewed on 3/25/2012 + 26 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

When is a divorce not an ugly thing? Two people start out in a marriage in the hopes 'til death do us part'. And then things change. Does it help that they might have married because of money or social status or plain fear of being alone? Once children are brought into the marriage and there is considerable money involved, they can't just walk away.

It doesn't matter what time period it happens, divorce brings out the ugly in people. If the time period is the mid 1800's in Victorian England, it isn't going to be very promising for the woman involved, since women were considered property of the husband and second class citizens.

In Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace by Kate Summerscale, a detailed account of a sticky divorce reminds us that we've come a long way, baby. The first half of the book retells the diary of Mrs. Robinson and her infatuation with Edward Lane. The second half of the book describes the bitter divorce proceedings between Mr. Robinson, Mrs. Robinson and her accused adulterer Lane where the main piece of evidence is the diary of Mrs. Robinson.

It is a very well researched factual event that is written like fiction to draw the reader into the emotional roller coaster Mrs. Robinson is forced to ride.

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