Synopses & Reviews
When your father is a man of expensive tastes and schemes but very little money, you soon learn to make do. So when Captain Fortune, a well-meaning but profligate ex-soldier in Regency England, tells his daughter Caroline that they are ruined, she automatically starts seeking employment as a governess. Her father, however, has far grander designs for Miss Fortune....
Caro is to become the companion of Mrs. Catling, the rich, fierce widow of her father's old colonel. As Mrs. Catling amuses herself by tormenting her relatives and servants, Caro resolves to make the best of the situation, and soon her beauty and intelligence attract the attentions of male admirers.
Surrounded by people with an alarming readiness to reveal each other's confidences, Caroline is exasperated to find herself implicated in their indiscretions. But will Miss Fortune be able to avoid losing her reputation without losing her head? And will she find at least one good man amongst the genteel set who will take her side, and, indeed, her fancy?
Review
"This lustrous historical romance...captures the spirit of early nineteenth-century Britain through the extraordinary lives of the wives and lovers of its greatest poets."--
Entertainment Weekly (editor's choice, Grade A)
"[One of] the best books of 2005. A remarkable book.... As the title suggest, it's about love and lust, but Passion concerns itself in almost greater measure with those romantic yearnings by which men and women live and for which they are willing to die.... A feast of language, a grab bag of delights.... An exploration of mind and emotion, heart and art."
--The Washington Post Book World
"[A] deeply imagined and gorgeously written novel about the Romantic poets, as seen by the women who loved them.... Morgan brings a fascinating past to brilliant light."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Whether historical or romantic fiction, or a melding of the two, this is a sensational story of money, marriage, and, above all, high-wrought emotion.... A sprightly, intelligent romp." --Kirkus Reviews
"The wealth of detail and Morgan's amazing ability to re-create what these women might have thought and felt are worth savoring.... The novel encompasses enough love affairs and tragedy for a dozen bodice-rippers, without ever losing its clear-eyed intelligence.... Passion more than lives up to its title."
--The Christian Science Monitor
"Astonishing historical fiction that vividly reflects the passions associated with an exhilarating new era in literature." --Booklist
"Passion is a wonderful book---rich, authentic, beautifully written and, yes, passionate.... I have not been better entertained all year." --Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring
About the Author
Jude Morgan, who studied creative writing under Malcolm Bradbury and Angela Carter, lives in Peterborough, England.
Reading Group Guide
1. What do you think about Caroline? What are her strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and defeats? Does she fit the mold of the contemporary female heroine or does she break that mold? How?
2. Captain Fortune is an imperfect man and one of the least appealing characters in the book, and yet Caroline cares for him. In what ways does Captain Fortune let Caroline down and in what ways, if any, does he provide support? How do his mistakes and disappointments influence Carolines choices for herself?
3. Is there truth to Stephens initial judgment of Caroline? Is his description of her correct? To what extent is Caroline implicated in the troubles that fall upon the Millner household?
4. Which of the three central female characters——Caroline, Isabella, or Fanny——do you relate to most strongly? Why?
5. Caroline is often blamed for the indiscretions of others. What
factors play into this?
6. Discrepancy between perception and reality is a central theme of Indiscretion, i.e., prejudicial judgment of Caroline. Can you think of other examples of this theme in the book?
7. Are the characters of Mrs. Caitling, Mr. and Miss Downey, and
Mr. Leabrook wholly unlikable? How are they affected by the same social and economic considerations as Caroline?
8. Stephen is initially adamant about his aversion to the institution of marriage. Discuss the marriages in the book with respect to how well they fulfill various functions: social, financial, spiritual, etc.
9. How does the relationship between Stephen and Caroline change throughout the course of the novel? In light of their occasional quarrels and antagonistic banter, how do they really feel about each other at the beginning? Do their feelings change as the novel progresses? If they do, what incidents account for the change in feelings?
10. Indiscretion is, in some ways, a debate about the principles of rationalism, represented by Lady Millner, or even Isabella, and those of Romanticism, represented by Fanny. Where does Caroline stand among these diverging principles?
11. How does the book discuss the shaky social, financial, and legal ground upon which women stood during this time period? Do you think this discussion is affected by the fact that the author is male? If so, how?