The prolific Lady Antonia Fraser has long been drawn to formidable — and tragic — women, starting with her first biography, of Mary Stuart, more than half a century ago. In the last decade, she has focused on the social upheavals of the early 19th century, writing books on the Great Reform Act of 1832 and the fight for Catholic Emancipation in 1829. She thus perhaps sometimes assumes a little too much knowledge of a reader coming fresh to the period. But Fraser’s skill and passion override all, and in The Case of the Married Woman, she renders her subject a woman of dignity, depth and character. Here we meet a heroine, one who fought for herself, for her children, and for all women and children..

Fraser gives insightful judgment on the questions that remain questions despite Caroline’s extensive archive.

The life of Caroline Norton, the 19th century author and campaigner who is the remarkable subject of Antonia Fraser’s engaging new biography The Case of the Married Woman, plays out like a Victorian sensation novel.

In Ms. Fraser’s clear-eyed telling, Caroline Norton remains a woman of her time, rather than a heroine for ours, and the progress she championed was limited. Even in her rage and grief, she did not question the ideology of separate spheres or the power of femininity to sway men’s judgments. Yet her willingness to mine her own life to advocate for social change was startlingly modern. She made the personal political, facing down scandal to make it clear that her husband had wronged her and that the law had allowed him to do it. It was, at least, a beginning..

There have been other books about Caroline Norton, but Fraser’s is the first to emphasise what a modern figure she is, portraying her not as a hapless victim but as a working mother and bestselling writer who refused to submit to what can only be called the patriarchy — a 'difficult' woman whose bloodymindedness improved the lot of other women. Fraser is surely right to call her a 19th-century heroine..

Antonia Fraser is particularly good on Caroline Norton as a professional writer, a topic that tends to get buried.

Captivating.

Esteemed historian Fraser...turns her eye to the lesser-known yet impactful Caroline Norton.

This engagingly written, rigorously researched book will appeal to both feminist historians and readers who enjoy well-crafted portraits of historical figures who deserve more attention.

Informative.