Life Mask

The bestselling author of Slammerkin vividly brings to life the Beau Monde of late eighteenth-century England, turning the private drama of three celebrated Londoners into a robust, full-bodied portrait of a world on the brink of revolution. In a time of looming war, of glittering spectacle and financial disasters, the wealthy liberals of the Whig Party work to topple a tyrannical prime minister and a lunatic king. Marriages and friendships stretch or break; political liaisons prove as dangerous as erotic ones; and everyone wears a mask. Will Eliza Farren, England's leading comedic actress, gain entry to that elite circle that calls itself the World? Can Lord Derby, the inventor of the horse race that bears his name, endure public mockery of his long, unconsummated courtship of the actress? Will Anne Damer, a sculptor and rumored Sapphist, be the cause of Eliza's fall from grace?

This is a remakable novel in the tradition of the very best historical fiction.

"Few sexual liaisons among the gentry went unnoticed in 18th-century beau monde England — the gossip papers of the era make our own tabloid culture look respectful — and though fleeting same-sex affairs were somewhat fashionable, suspected homosexuals were condemned to public humiliation and criminal punishment. Offering a fictionalized account of real-life scandal, Donoghue (Slammerkin) tells the story of three minor historical personages: the actress Eliza Farren, the Earl of Derby and the widowed sculptress Anne Damer. Famously ugly Lord Derby has been pursuing chaste young Eliza for years, hoping to marry her when his estranged, invalid wife dies. In the meantime, Eliza meets Derby's friend Anne and the two strike up a close, platonic friendship. Though she denies them vehemently, rumors of Sapphism haunt Anne Damer and endanger the reputations of everyone around her. Spanning the decade from 1787 to 1797, the novel follows this cast of characters through their complicated romantic and political entanglements. All the while, the French Revolution rages, causing major upheaval among the British nobility. Even as Derby and Anne befriend common folk like Eliza and support the liberal Whig party, hoping to topple mad King George, the mounting wave of European democracy threatens to extinguish their life of indolent leisure. Donoghue, who has written a historical examination of 18th-century British lesbian culture, Passions Between Women, has an extraordinary talent for turning exhaustive research into plausible characters and narratives; she presents a vibrant world seething with repressed feeling and class tensions. Agent, Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Grinberg. 8-city author tour. (Sept. 4) Forecast: The sensational thrills of bestselling Slammerkin aren't on offer here — there are many more earnest conversations than sex scenes — but readers who appreciated Slammerkin's emotional and historical depths will enjoy Donoghue's latest." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Based on the lives of three real people, Donoghue weaves a story filled with such attention to detail that it easily captures the essence of the time — power, intrigue, dirty politics, and erotic liaisons." Carolyn Kubisz, Booklist

"Life Mask is a fully satisfying excursion into a world of personal dalliances, theatrical shenanigans and political chicanery." Seattle Times

"One of those great 19th-century tomes that you're sad to see come to an end....Donoghue...has alighted on another terrific story, and she pulls off a dazzling feat of choreography in setting it all in motion." The Washington Post

"Despite a rich portrayal of 18th-century genteel society, Donoghue's bulky account of this relatively tame scandal, by historical and modern standards, is unfortunately dull." Library Journal

"An agreeable book, with sympathetic characters and touching moments. But it has enough of the flaws of the typical biography that I wondered whether Donoghue would have done better to make it one, giving it a chance to share biography's virtues as well." Newsday

"[Donoghue] has brought [Damer] to wonderfully convincing life and set her in a world seething with evocative detail....Her writing lacks nothing for brilliance, and her understanding of the human heart is unfailing." Chicago Tribune

"Before Slammerkin and Life Mask hit the mainstream market, Donoghue was known and admired as a lesbian writer....Perhaps now with these stunning books to her credit she will be described simply — and perfectly — as a writer." Houston Chronicle

The bestselling author of "Slammerkin" turns her attention to the Beau Monde of late 18th-century England, transforming the private drama of three celebrated Londoners into a robust, full-bodied portrait of a world and lives on the brink of revolution.

Born in Ireland, Emma Donoghue spent many years in England and now lives in Canada. She is the author of Slammerkin as well as two other novels, a collection of short stories, and a collection of fairy tales.

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Life Mask
Cire Perdue
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Author's Note
Dramatis Personae