Penned by an author unknown to me, The Gilded Cage, came as a satisfying and emotional surprise after reading a series of letdowns.

Set against an Edwardian backdrop, author Luisa A. Jones  tells the story of Rosamund Pelham, a reluctant bride married off by her unfeeling brother to wealthy Sir Lucien Fitznorton. He’s a brutal, controlling husband and Rosamund becomes a beaten-down shell of a woman. As the story begins, she has endured sixteen years of marital rape and abuse that caused multiple miscarriages.

Sir Lucien denigrates and punishes her for not providing the heir he expected, and through several chapters told in his viewpoint, the author reveals the depth of his depravity and cruelty. Rosamund’s life revolves around trying to appease him. At the same time, she observes him indulging his daughter Charlotte, who is adept at manipulating him. The only breathing space Rosamund ever gets is during his merciful absences. It’s on one of these occasions that she makes the impulsive, uncharacteristically bold decision to learn to drive: a decision that clues the reader into her deeply buried sense of self-preservation.

Sir Lucien has purchased an expensive car and has hired handsome chauffeur Joseph Cadwallader, a married father with a large family. Joe, whose wife Mary has rejected him since the loss of their daughter, strikes up an unexpected and dangerous connection with the fragile, unhappy Lady Fitznorton. The two become lovers, a moral dilemma plot choice of the kind that can turn-off readers unless it is very cleverly handled. Let’s face it, there’s always an excuse for adultery: he’s a pig; she’s frigid. Most readers still take a dim view of characters who fool around, especially a man whose wife is loyal and hardworking, and has borne him countless progeny.

Many authors would have resorted to clichéd contrivance to resolve this messy conundrum. Ms. Jones lifted her story from a solid 4 to a 4.5 from me by making this element feel organic and by resolving it with a redemption that worked very well. No spoilers on that score.

Any woman who has endured the horror of domestic abuse will recognize in Rosamund a woman frozen in her situation by self-blame, loss of confidence and self-esteem, and paralyzing fear. She even puts up with being bullied by her butler ( sack his sorry ass! ) Her journey to reclaim herself is inspiring and beautiful. Joe does not rescue her; ultimately, she rescues herself, which is why this story will strike a chord with many women.

 The Gilded Cage comes with a trigger warning up front about the violence. In my opinion, none of the scenes were gratuitous, but even written with care and sensitivity, they were visceral and shocking. When it came time to write this review, I made a conscious effort to set aside my personal distaste for scenes depicting violence against women, children, or animals. I focused on whether the scenes were essential because of certain pivotal plot elements. On balance, I felt the author could have achieved the requisite rationale for the resolution with possibly one less scene – which would have given readers some relief! – and some judicious extra editing.

A few trivialities: Chapter Two opens in the viewpoint 0f maid Nellie ( a wonderfully rounded character) who refers to ‘Lady Rosamund Fitznorton’  Rosamund would be Lady Fitznorton, not Lady Rosamund. I took this to be an error missed in editing, as it was not repeated. Occasional anachronistic idiom – the term “family unit” was not in widespread use until the mid 20th Century, and has a bureaucratic sensibility that was out of step with Rosamund’s narrative. Nellie’s voice was inconsistent at times and her gossiping about the domestic battery of her mistress in front of male servants stretched credibility. As for Phelps, the butler:  conjecturing that perhaps his mistress “likes a bit of rough handling” flagged him as the bad actor he turned out to be, but for sticklers it could seem implausible.

In summary, Luisa A. Jones should be proud of this book. It’s compulsive reading, finely written, handles difficult themes with heart and finesse, and delivers a memorable, touching conclusion. For the record, I’m stingy with my stars, as Regency Chronicle readers know from our pre-Internet days. 4.5 stars is me telling you to buy this book!

The Gilded Cage was the reviewer’s personal purchase. Cover image courtesy of Storm Books © 2023.  Review by Meredith Thompson © 2023 The Regency Chronicle.