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Our Dearest Emma: the scandalous life and loves of Emma, Lady Hamilton
The gripping, evocative novel about Emma, Lady Hamilton, by the author of the bestseller "The Queen's Midwife".
From humble beginnings she rose to become one of the most famous and celebrated women of her time. Thanks to her striking beauty, young Amy Lyon was transformed into Emma Hart, destined for a glittering future.
This fictional biography paints a vivid portrait of Emma's incredible life, during which she was the muse of the artist George Romney, associate of the infamous Dr James Graham, wife of Sir William Hamilton, and confidante of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples. And, of course, the mistress of Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson.
But when success and popularity depend on youth, beauty, and the patronage of important men, will Emma's remarkable story inevitably end in tragedy?
From humble beginnings she rose to become one of the most famous and celebrated women of her time. Thanks to her striking beauty, young Amy Lyon was transformed into Emma Hart, destined for a glittering future.
This fictional biography paints a vivid portrait of Emma's incredible life, during which she was the muse of the artist George Romney, associate of the infamous Dr James Graham, wife of Sir William Hamilton, and confidante of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples. And, of course, the mistress of Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson.
But when success and popularity depend on youth, beauty, and the patronage of important men, will Emma's remarkable story inevitably end in tragedy?
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2018
11 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Ursula Bloom
309 books17 followersaka Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole
Ursula was born in Essex, but as a child lived in Whitchurch, Warwickshire, where her father, James Harvey Bloom, was the Rector of the village. She went on to write books about his work into their family history.
Ursula published over 500 books in her lifetime, an achievement that once won her recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. She wrote many of her novels under pseudonyms - Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole and Sara Sloane.
Her work was predominantly romantic, although her first book, Tiger, privately printed, was written when she was seven years old. She was encouraged to write by a family friend, a well-known author of the time - Marie Corelli.
Born into the fringes of middle class, with aspirations of grandeur but little money, Ursula became a master of story-telling in her own life - keeping up appearances with an imaginary housemaid because "it would have been a social stigma to do our own work" and pretending to her first husband that she could control the servants and not they her - writing was both an outlet and easy with someone of her imagination and humour.
She married twice - in 1916 to Arthur Brownlow Denham-Cookes, to whom she had one son, Pip, born in 1917, and in 1925 to Charles Gower Robinson.
Ursula was born in Essex, but as a child lived in Whitchurch, Warwickshire, where her father, James Harvey Bloom, was the Rector of the village. She went on to write books about his work into their family history.
Ursula published over 500 books in her lifetime, an achievement that once won her recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. She wrote many of her novels under pseudonyms - Sheila Burns, Mary Essex, Rachel Harvey, Deborah Mann, Lozania Prole and Sara Sloane.
Her work was predominantly romantic, although her first book, Tiger, privately printed, was written when she was seven years old. She was encouraged to write by a family friend, a well-known author of the time - Marie Corelli.
Born into the fringes of middle class, with aspirations of grandeur but little money, Ursula became a master of story-telling in her own life - keeping up appearances with an imaginary housemaid because "it would have been a social stigma to do our own work" and pretending to her first husband that she could control the servants and not they her - writing was both an outlet and easy with someone of her imagination and humour.
She married twice - in 1916 to Arthur Brownlow Denham-Cookes, to whom she had one son, Pip, born in 1917, and in 1925 to Charles Gower Robinson.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 25, 2020
Not one word of the Goldsmid brothers (Abraham and Benjamin). Not a word about their friendship with Lord Nelson and their service to Lady Hamilton. There is, of course, the "little Jew" behind the counter eagerly accepting a treasured heirloom to be pawned. I am still shaking my head in wonder. How does a book like this show up in a search for Jewish Historical Fiction?
January 14, 2020
Oh boy. Well, it's starts off awful - with a fourteen year old, giddy with excitement at almost being raped, going away to find work in London - and somehow only manages to get worse. If I could give negative stars I would.
August 14, 2020
So satisfying
Highly recommend to fellow readers who like historical fiction with a female lead. Will definitely be reading again. Glad to keep in my library forever.
Highly recommend to fellow readers who like historical fiction with a female lead. Will definitely be reading again. Glad to keep in my library forever.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews