What do you think?
Rate this book
Emancipation
Britain, 1851: the world’s only superpower. But five years later a disastrous war in Crimea has exposed the corruption and incompetence of its ruling class. In Russia, Britain’s defeated enemy, rebellion erupts when the sacrifice of the serf army at Sebastopol becomes known.
This novel by a historian of Victorian social reform is set in a decade of great social change. Russia frees its serfs. Britain’s Conservative government, against all expectations, gives working-class taxpayers the right to vote. Emancipation describes the private lives and interactions of some fictional characters who may have accidentally contributed to these
A junior army officer, under a cloud for mutiny, and the wealthy society hostess whom he courts in search of social advancement. An Irish soldier who deserted and went native in Russia, forcibly repatriated to Britain as a revolutionary with Tsarist spies on his tail. A child rescued from a high-society London brothel. The daughter of a Marquess who disowns her title. A criminal who escapes the gallows by enlisting.
These people, linked by complex and evolving relationships, all have a restless desire for change heightened by wartime experiences. The achievements of the politicians and reformers whom history credits for social progress in the period seem thin by comparison.
This novel by a historian of Victorian social reform is set in a decade of great social change. Russia frees its serfs. Britain’s Conservative government, against all expectations, gives working-class taxpayers the right to vote. Emancipation describes the private lives and interactions of some fictional characters who may have accidentally contributed to these
A junior army officer, under a cloud for mutiny, and the wealthy society hostess whom he courts in search of social advancement. An Irish soldier who deserted and went native in Russia, forcibly repatriated to Britain as a revolutionary with Tsarist spies on his tail. A child rescued from a high-society London brothel. The daughter of a Marquess who disowns her title. A criminal who escapes the gallows by enlisting.
These people, linked by complex and evolving relationships, all have a restless desire for change heightened by wartime experiences. The achievements of the politicians and reformers whom history credits for social progress in the period seem thin by comparison.
278 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.