The Sealed Letter

What are your experiences of marriage?

We have teamed up with Pan Macmillan to bring you a delightful competition. Award-winning writer Emma Donoghue author of Room, and The Sealed Letter.

The Sealed Letter is a lust, lies and adultery story based on real accounts of a divorce cases that scandalised England in the 19th century, The Sealed Letter is a fun and humorous book that will appeal to all ages.

"After a separation of many years, Emily ‘Fido’ Faithfull bumps into her old friend Helen Codrington on the streets of Victorian London. Much has changed: Helen is more and more unhappy in her marriage to the older Vice-Admiral Codrington, while Fido has become a successful woman of business and a pioneer in the British Women’s Movement. But, for all her independence of mind, Fido is too trusting of her once-dear companion and finds herself drawn into aiding Helen’s obsessive affair with a young army officer. Then, when the Vice-Admiral seizes the children and sues for divorce, the women’s friendship unravels amid accusations of adultery and counter-accusations of cruelty and attempted rape, as well as a mysterious ‘sealed letter’ that could destroy more than one life . ."

To celebrate the release we have launched a competition to win a complete Pan Macmillan book collection.

You can submit a phrase your mother told you, a piece of advice which has stayed with you throughout your married life or a short story about something you have experience in marriage which relates to something your mum once told you. We want to create an open, friendly and honest discussion of marriage and mothers.

The best submission (which will be voted by you) will win a complete Pan Macmillan book package which will include copies of The Sealed Letter and Room, and five runners-up will each receive copies of The Sealed Letter.

To kick-start this competition and give you some food for thought Emma has very kindly given us the opening extract of her latest book The Sealed Letter which is available to buy now.

Read extract...

Voting will now take place up until the 11th April.

View winners

• Just like your cousin!
  My childhood was dominated by the severe admonition accompanied with the finger wagging that I would go, "Just like your cousin did!" from my mother emphasised even more strongly by my father. Between the ages of 9 to 17 I had no idea what ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• what Mum often said
  "When you get to my age ( she was 88 ) you can say what you like". And she did ! ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Words of Wisdom?
  
  Like many mums mine had a treasure-trove of sayings inherited from her own mother: “never put off until tomorrow what you can do today” or “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Such sayings punctuated my ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Stony Ground
  My mother was bitter, unhappy and sad
  And attempted her best to instil
  In me, caution and terror when dating a lad,
  To ensure no excitement or thrill.
  
  Her words, biting into my ear during rows
  Would worm their way into my head,
  But the vehement ... read more
  Posted 2 months ago
• honesty
  be true to yourself and listen to your heart - you will always get the right answer ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Bite Your Tongue
  "You need to bite your tongue, my girl,"
  My mother used to say.
  That phrase got on my nerves
  Along with, "You will rue the day..."
  
  When I got married she was there
  Dressed in her finest hat
  She said, "Before you leave ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Mother's advice
  Never run after a man or a bus ! ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Babies
  There's only one perfect baby and every mother has it. ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• My mum's wise words
  My late mum always said "have clean underwear every day, no pins or tape, you never know when you may be in an accident"!! Hence my penchant for sexy underwear with matching panties and slips..even in my 60's!! Thanks Mum. ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• I still use this phrase
  What cannot be cured - must be endured! ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Live every day
  My mum always said if you are happy and healthy in marriage everything else will fall into place. Live everyday and enjoy each other ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• You are only as good as your role model
  My late mother was put into an orphanage at 2, ran away to London at 14, had one child out of wedlock and had adopted, married my dad, had 2 more daughters, one is me, divorced my father, married for money, had loads of dalliances, lived a full but ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• My Mum and I
  My mum was mentally ill, and not a good role model. She chain smoked and told me terrifying stories. She killed herself when I was 17 and I left home then rather than live with my step father who sexually abused me from 10 years old. I now have two ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago
• Recipe for a happy relationship
  My mother always said that it was easy to be the kind of girl that your man would want to go to bed with. A much better approach though, was to be the kind of girl he wanted to wake up with. ... read more
  Posted 1 month ago