Read My Heart

October 1, 2008
Dorothy Osborne (162795) and William Temple (162899) began their love affair during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War. Despite steadfast familial opposition, they carried on a courtship based primarily on written correspondence for six and a half years. Dorothy's surviving letters from this period are widely celebrated for their literary and historical value, revealing a complex, insightful, and intelligent woman. The two finally married and spent over 40 years together, surviving disease, the Great Fire of London, and the Black Death and outliving all of their children. Traditionally, emphasis has been on William as a celebrated essayist and diplomat under Charles II and Dorothy as a superb example of the epistolary art and a model of female domesticity. In this highly readable and skillfully written dual biography, Dunn (fellow, Royal Society of Literature, "Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens") draws on memoirs and personal letters to show that their relationship, distinctive for its time, was based on companionship, partnership, and, most important, intellectual equality. She provides a balanced if slightly romanticized look at both of their lives, as well as a close examination of the historical circumstances that surrounded them. This thoroughly researched historical narrative is recommended for both academic and public libraries.Carrie Benbow, Toronto P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
The era of Britains Civil War teems with articulate, literate personalities whose diaries yield a wealth of worthwhile political and social observations. Dorothy Osborne and William Temple found themselves and their families on opposing sides in the struggle between king and Parliament, but the two fell in love and, surmounting a host of social and political impediments, went on to marry. Their surviving correspondence offers an illuminating glimpse into their mutual passion. Dunn fleshes out this epistolary testament with prodigious research into the lovers family histories and historical contexts that shaped their intense emotion. She details for readers the Civil Wars horrific impacts on the Irish and explicates the larger European diplomatic milieu where Temple worked assiduously for Charles II despite ever-present intrigues at court. Portraits of the principals and detailed family trees help the reader sort through the welter of characters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)