Life Mask - Paperback

by Emma Donoghue (Author)

'Donoghue... 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.' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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 remarkable novel in the tradition of the very best historical fiction.

Front Jacket

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. The Honourable Mrs. Anne Damer is a young widow of eccentric tastes, the only female sculptor of her time. The Earl of Derby, inventor of the horse race that bears his name, is the richest man in the House of Lords, and the ugliest. Miss Eliza Farren, born a nobody, now reigns as Queen of Comedy at Drury Lane Theatre.
In a time of looming war and terrorism, 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 gain entry to that elite circle that calls itself the World? Can Lord Derby's pride endure public mockery of his long, unconsummated courtship of the actress? Will Anne Damer ever silence the whispers of Sapphism that have haunted her since her husband's death?
Let the games begin....

Back Jacket

A Washington Post Book World Best Book of the Year
Vividly bringing to life the glittering spectacle of late eighteenth-century England, bestselling author Emma Donoghue turns the private drama of three celebrated Londoners into a robust portrait of a world on the brink of revolution. Lord Derby, the unhappily married creator of the eponymous horse race, is the steadfast suitor of a leading comedy star, the lowborn Eliza Farren, but their unconsummated courtship jeopardizes his stature. When the ambitious actress begins an intimate friendship with the aristocratic widow, Anne Damer, a sculptor and rumored Sapphist, the resulting scandal threatens to destroy the lives of all three as relationships dissolve and political liaisons prove as dangerous as erotic ones in this world where everyone wears a mask.
"A bright, bruising slice of eighteenth-century life in London." --Elle
"A sprawling, leisurely and enjoyable novel."--The New York Times Book Review
"Few...will be able to put it down before its enthralling tales end." -- Chicago Tribune
"A treat for those who like good historical fiction"--The Boston Globe
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.