Gilded

by Catherine Karp

In the summer of 1897, Emma Brandenberg, young, college educated, and a former child prodigy, enters her sixth year of a disturbing marriage to Mayor Philip Brandenberg, popular leader of a small Massachusetts town. Behind closed doors, Philip is a controlling and often-abusive monster--not at all the gentle widower with whom she originally fell in love. During her darkest moments, Emma meets Freddie Ash, a nomadic ladies’ hatmaker known throughout New England for his elaborate Parisian-style creations--as well as for his habit of bedding customers in his back workroom. Despite her initial disgust with the underground sexual revolution that follows his arrival, Emma finds an unlikely comrade in Ash when he becomes the sole witness to her husband’s brutality. And, with the intriguing stranger’s help, she soon embarks upon an unforgettable journey toward love, independence, and sexual liberation--an experience that will forever alter the lives of everyone around her. Winner of the Hollywood Opus Magnum Discovery Award and the Authorlink New Author Awards Competition.

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Karen Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could give 3.5 stars here, I would. The story of a young Victorian wife terrorized and abused by her older husband was the most compelling part of this novel, and made me want to make sure Emma, the main character survived..