Mrs Dickens — Emily Howes | Coleman’s Notes Reader’s Companion

Emily Howes’s Mrs Dickens reimagines the life of Catherine “Kate” Hogarth Dickens, wife of Charles Dickens and mother of their ten children.

Beginning with their courtship in London in 1835, the novel follows Kate as her ambitious young husband becomes one of Victorian Britain’s greatest literary celebrities. Through Kate and the second perspective of servant Anne Brown, Howes explores the private world behind the famous public life.

Selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club, Mrs Dickens gives narrative prominence to a woman whose own voice was often overshadowed by that of her celebrated husband.

The Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion helps you explore the history, characters and ideas behind the novel while carefully distinguishing between documented historical events and Howes’s imaginative reconstruction.

It includes an Extended Plot Summary, Detailed Reading Guide, Character Studies, Major Themes, Victorian historical context, Narrative Technique, Eight Extended Close Readings, Critical Perspectives, 50 Reading & Discussion Questions, Ten Key Episodes, Twenty Key Concepts and a Quick Reference section.

Particularly suitable for book clubs and reading groups, with plenty of material for discussing marriage, motherhood, gender, class, domestic service, literary celebrity, historical reputation and the ethics of turning real lives into fiction.

CN-075 | Digital Download | £6.95

Contemporary Collection 1

Collect all five contemporary Coleman’s Notes Reader’s Companions:

John of John — Douglas Stuart

Nesting — Roisín O’Donnell

Mrs Dickens — Emily Howes

Where Are the Kings — Donal Ryan

Boudicca’s Daughter — Elodie Harper

£6.95 each | Five separately £34.75

Collection price £29.95 — Save £4.80

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