Wild Romance: A Victorian Story of a Marriage, a Trial, and a Self-Made Woman

by Chloe Schama

What started as a friendly conversation between a young girl, Theresa Longworth, and an army officer, William Charles Yelverton, on a steamer bound from France to England in 1852 would culminate nearly a decade later in one of the biggest public scandals the era had witnessed, with enormous implications for society at large. Seized upon by the Victorian press, the trials to legitimize Longworth's marriage to Yelverton before the law courts of Ireland, Scotland, and England brought to the fore several of the most disconcerting matters in the Victorian the inadequacies of female education, prejudice against single women, and problems with marriage law. When Theresa Yelverton emerged victorious from her legal battles, she was paraded through Dublin's streets like a queen. Her victory, though, was short-lived, as she learned that life as a single woman?even the life of a well-known writer and traveler, as she became?would always be hard. Theresa Yelverton became an unwitting harbinger of the turmoil of her era and evoked timeless fears and the fantasy of romance, the grip of obsession, the plight of unrequited love, the fear of abandonment. Chloe Schama brilliantly recaptures an ordinary woman caught up in an extraordinary affair, catapulted into fame and notoriety, forcing her society to confront some of its most unsettling issues.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Historical, Victorian, Historical Romance, True Crime

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Chloë Schama has written for the New Republic, the New York Sun, and the Guardian. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this book (a goodreads win) and I will explain why, but first I want to make one thing clear. My dislike of this book is not due to the author's lack of skill or finesse. The research put into this book is impeccable. My dislike for this book stems more from my personal dislike of the woman it is about.

This is about Theresa Longworth aka Theresa Yelverton aka Teresina Peregrina, a woman who during the late 1800s made waves in England with her scandalous marriage and divorce. The first 75 pages are a bit rough as they outline Theresa's romance thru letters with Charles Yelverton. In this part, it was sort of too much, "her letter said this and his letter said that.." so it was "bumpy" here to say the least. It is thru this penpal courtship tho, that readers start to form their own opinions. One minute I sided with her.. the next I found myself sympathizing with him.. Theresa pursued this man like there was no tomorrow and comes across as very pushy. Charles seems a bit of tease with no apparent interest in Theresa outside of the bedroom. Why she pursued him so persistently I never did figure out. Nevertheless, this is where I started disliking the woman this is about and my dislike grew throughout their trial as she tries to force this man to stay married to her while he has already married someone else. She spent fifteen years fighting for this man.

After all this, Theresa begins to travel and here the book got more interesting for me. I especially liked her visits to Utah and Sri Lanka. However, her views on slavery caused me to dislike her character even more. I quite frankly grew to hate Theresa.

If I wasn't so impressed with the research and time put into this, I would probably give it two stars, but the research being what it is, I have gave it three.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book shows that even in the 1800's "he's just not that into you" existed. This woman supposedly had 2 "secret" marriages performed to this man, who then went on to marry another woman. A couple of lawsuits later, she gives up and goes traveling across the globe, writing novels and travel guides to support herself.

Obviously the story is more complex than that, and this book does a good job of showing it. The line that summed it up for me, came at the end: "...the greatest campaign of her life was aimed at securing a traditional and relatively subservient position in society." Her whole life, to me, was a very interesting contradiction.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work of non-fiction explores the woman behind the 1861 trial referred to as the Yelverton Bigamy Trial, which "attracted national, front-page attention for weeks" (xi). Although the trial was something of a sensation in its day, (indeed, "between fifty and one hundred thousand people" gathered to hear the verdict (101)), the story faded into obscurity over time.

Theresa Longworth met William Charles Yelverton on a steamship when Yelverton returned her fallen shawl to her and they struck up a conversation that apparently lasted for hours. Nearly a year later, Theresa took the bold step of writing to a man she barely knew, beginning a long correspondence and a turbulent relationships The pattern of their relationship was this: "Yelverton failed to write or responded with a flip note; Theresa complained, then turned his apathy into a sign of his commitment" (9). In short, much could have been avoided if Theresa had accepted that Yelverton was not nearly as devoted to her as she was to him and moved on.

After not one but two secret marriage ceremonies to Theresa, Yelverton married another woman, inciting an angry and betrayed Theresa to bring a court case against her former lover on the grounds of bigamy. Although Theresa eventually legally won the case and was declared Yelverton's wife, the two never lived together or communicated again after the trial. Instead, Theresa wrote a fictional account of their romance (with a happier ending) and moved to America, becoming a travel writer.

Although the first half of this book, or the half that dealt with both their romance and its disintegration, was interesting, the second half petered out in enthusiasm and interest. Although all of Theresa's life was unconventional and interesting, it seemed clear that the author was truly interested in the relationship between Theresa and Yelverton and not the portions of their lives that they lived apart. Additionally, I found it odd that little was said about Yelverton's life post-trial. It seems his life was mostly quiet after the very public court case, however, what was his opinion of the ordeal? Did he read Theresa's novels? Did he leave any written indication of his thoughts?

Ultimately, the court case was significant because it "evoked the disadvantaged position of young unmarried women and unhappily married women, the tangled skein of marriage law, and the incapacity of the courts to deal with certain types of evidence and stories" (118). Yet it all seems like a whole lot of trouble that could have easily been solved by either Theresa moving on from an uninterested man or Yelverton simply breaking things off with her once and for all.

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another history on one of my pet subjects, which is how badly the law has treated women. At the heart of the book is Theresa Yelverton and her various suits for bigamy against her purported husband, Charles Yelverton. Actually no, at the heart of the book is Theresa Yelverton and her egotistical obsession with defining herself as the love of Charles Yelverton's life. Or is Theresa's obsession with justice? Or is she, quite simply, a bit mad?

One thing is for sure, Theresa is extremely unlikeable. She's also dogged, brave, unbelievably single-minded. She's erudite and deluded, she's beautiful and she's fatal. She's passionate and she's calculating. I loathed her, but goodness, I couldn't help but admire her too.

She meets Charles when she's in her teens, an impressionable convent girl with a vivid imagination. Totally unconventionally and in secret, they start to correspond. They meet up a year later. She pursues him to war in the Crimea and then to Edinburgh. They might have undergone an irregular marriage there - the Scottish courts believed they did - but when you come to see that Theresa is pretty much unable to tell the truth about anything, you wonder how much of the evidence was simply the product of her imagination. Her letters tell one story, Charles another. Don't get me wrong, he's very far from blameless, but is he the villain portrayed in the Irish bigamy case? Not so sure.

In later years, Theresa goes to America, where she fails as a public speaker and succeeds as an intrepid traveller. She makes her mark in Hong Kong and in Africa, eventually dying there, in poverty, but still in denial.

Like Theresa, this was a bit of a flawed book for me, primarily because it was pretty biased in taking her side. The law of the times was cruel and unkind to women, that's very true Theresa had to tie herself in legal knots to take her husband to court in Ireland, since she had no legal personality as a wife, but if she sued him as a single woman, then the bigamy case was then intrinsically flawed. So in the end, it was one of Theresa/Charles' creditors that led the case. the thing is though, that appalling as the law was, much as I wanted to be on Theresa's side, there was a bit of me that remained sceptical throughout the trial. Was she making it all up? It seemed to me a strong possibility, given what I learned of her later life, and I felt cheated that the author didn't refer to those later blatant falsehoods when discussing the trial.

So yes, flawed history but fascinating. And excellent research too. Only I think I'll make my heroine a bit more likable!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theresa met Yelverton on a steamer, the attraction was instant but to give in to lust was a sin in Victorian England. He led her a merry dance and married her in a clandestine unconventional ceremony in Scotland all so he could get her to loosen her stays. They travelled Europe, had a Catholic blessing in Ireland and all the while Theresa was to keep their marriage a secret. Soon Yelverton was married to another woman and claiming that Theresa had only been his concubine. She took him to court. This was a fascinating story about a woman determined to prove her virtue and highlights the ridiculous anti-woman laws surrounding marriage.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be an interesting book a bit like Wedlock (which I loved) but instead it proved to be really rather dull.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read/review this book because the title of the book screams SCANDAL – and everyone loves to read about a good scandal! This was certainly quite the scandal, but the book overall didn’t quite pan out that way I would have liked.

The first half of the book focuses on detailing Theresa’s relationship with Yelverton and then going into the various trials that ensued in Scotland, Ireland and England that were to prove whether these two were actually married or not. This section of the book I found the most interesting. Most striking were the legal rights and the differences between a married, single, or an abandoned woman. Theresa had to tread carefully along these lines in carrying out her case. The mental characters that I created of Yelverton and Theresa is that they were both, to some degree, crazy. Theresa was fixated on Yelverton and I wouldn’t put it past her to have made up some things as she went along. Yelverton, on the other hand, would constantly verbally push Theresa away, but he would always keep coming back – talk about mixed messages! Reading about these two people kept me glued to the first portion of the book.

The second half I didn’t love much at all and I lost a lot of interest. The second half focuses primarily on Theresa as a Victorian travel writer following the outcome of her trials. We follow her through the US National Parks and meet John Muir (as my father would say, the man with the trees!). I know that travel writing became a big thing in the Victorian days and the idea is somewhat interesting to me, but I think the execution wasn’t spot on here. The transition from the trial to the travel writing was somewhat awkward and not nearly as exciting. It also was dominated by more of a description of women travel writers than specifically about Theresa’s travels. I just found this portion to be more dry and stuffy than the first, which was exciting.

On a side note – there were pictures scattered throughout the book that really helped to break up the text and were much appreciated.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.

[Camelama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story that needs a bit more fleshing out. I would have enjoying learning more about exactly HOW she lived her life - as in, the logistics of her moves, her travels, etc. She was always bopping around from one place to another, travelling the world, yet the author never talks about her money, how she paid for the travel, why she decided to move different places, how did she manage to get invitations to stay with certain people, how one goes about joining a religious order and becoming a nurse - without any experience, and without becoming a nun.

Aside from the above point (which bothered me throughout the entire book), it was an interesting look at one of the earlier media darlings, and the start of a good look at the marriage laws at that time and place and the lack of women's rights in general.

I just wish I came away from the book with more actual feeling for either of the protagonists that I read about.

[Brenda Clough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good workmanlike summary of one of the most influential legal cases of its period. Theresa Longwood and William Yelverton married -- but in Scotland, not the UK. Since the marriage laws were not congruent the union wasn't valid in all the polities and wow! Can you have lawsuits, when the marriage hits the rocks! This was the fountain for many a Victorian novel, and there's probably still gold in them thar hills.

[Nightwitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this book is one of pacing. It is not, as the subtitle implies, a book about the Yelverton case (in brief: Yelverton, a military officer, had a secret relationship with Theresa Longworth, an unmarried young woman of slightly lower social status; he identified as Anglican and she as Catholic; they had some sort of ambiguous secret marriage ceremony, which she believed was valid and he did not; after he publicly married another woman Theresa took him to court alleging that he was her husband, and the scandalous case made them both notorious) - rather it is a biography of Theresa Longworth Yelverton. The chief problem with this is that she wasn't very interesting.

In her foreword, Schama talks about becoming fascinated with the case and with Theresa. There comes a time in every researcher's life where this happens - where you stumble across letters, or court reporting, or something, and you find yourself shouting "What?" and remembering late-night text exchanges with that one friend who keeps chasing the guy who's really not into her. The problem is that we don't get enough of Theresa's own words to come to that realization ourselves, and I don't know whether that was a choice - the tone of the book is fairly scholarly, and definitely coming from the perspective of a literary scholar rather than a historian - or simply that not enough of Theresa's own words survive. After the trial, when Schama follows Theresa's later life, the book really suffers from the near-total lack of private, unpublished sources - much of what we discuss of Theresa comes from her published writings, which, especially in the Victorian era, don't give a lot of insight into what someone really thought.

Furthermore, Theresa's writings have not become famous for a good reason. Victorian lady travelers were a dime a dozen, and unless they were eloping with their Egyptian dragoman or living a scandalous life amidst the Arabian sands, they don't necessarily have stories or insights that are particularly interesting to the modern reader. Schama follows Theresa across the world, but everything we learn about these exotic regions is filtered through the eyes of Theresa, an over-dramatizing Victorian Englishwoman who was (despite her flouting of some conventions) very much a product of her times, and we learn virtually nothing about Theresa's private life or thoughts. She doesn't make a particularly compelling travel companion, so the later sections of the book were hard to get through.

The book itself was well-written, but there were not enough sources available - and Theresa herself does not provide a compelling enough voice - to really make this worth revisiting.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book from my physical tbr stash that had themes similar to those of an upcoming book group read (The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear)so I gave it a whirl. I found the early sections involving Theresa‘s pursuit of and purported marriage to a playboy semi aristocrat and then subsequent long series of trials to validate her marriage when the cad dumps her for a new and more suitable wife. After failing on that front she travels to the American West (friendship with Horace Greeley and an even closer friendship with John Muir). Later in life she travelled in Asia and Africa. She wrote and spoke widely on marriage law and the rights of women. The book had interesting observations on the complexity and contradictions in British marriage laws as reflected in literature from Jane Austen through Wilkie Collins some actually inspired by the publicity surrounding Theresa’s many trials and appeals to have her marriage recognized in law. She was a “New Woman” decades before such woman were becoming recognized. 8/4

[Katie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite intriguing. It's a biography of Theresa Longworth, a Victorian woman who secretly married a military officer and then found he'd gone off and married another woman. When she took him to court, alleging bigamy, a whole host of legal issues unfolded. (For one thing, what constituted a marriage could wildly differ in different parts of the United Kingdom - so a secret marriage might be wholly legal in Scotland but not stand up elsewhere.)

After the legal case and several rounds of appeals, Theresa became one of the Victorian era's traveling literary gentlewomen, and the second half of the book is about that career. I would have liked more detail in this section, particularly concrete detail (where was her money coming from? How did she get her publishing contracts and decide where to journey next? What happened to her ward/adopted son? Etc.), but I suppose the sources might have been lacking on those accounts. At any rate, Schama seems more interested in the literary side of Theresa's traveling years, rather than the historical.

An interesting book, and a case that seems to have left its cultural mark on contemporaries. I'd be interested in reading a broader study of irregular marriages in this time period.

[Linda Amos · Rating 3 out of 5]

True story of a Victorian woman, Theresa Longworth, who met a man on the deck of a steamer. Their 'scandalous' relationship ended up in the courts of Dublin and Edinburgh and, eventually, the House of Lords to decide whether they were ever married. She won both cases but lost in the House of Lords. She went on to write novels and follow in the footsteps of other ladies by forging her own path in travelling through America, Hong Kong, Vietnam and passed away in South Africa. In a time when women were supposed to be the weaker sex, she certainly wasn't.
Well written, very informative and descriptive of her travels, it is full of the social etiquette of the time and shows that some women were bred to marry, keep house and bear children but were frowned upon when they tried to do something with their lives.

[Naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked this book up, I thought it was fiction based on a true story. What it is is the chronological story of a woman let down by society and its laws. It saddens me that a young, hopeful girl, ends up on a lonely journey in trying to find her place in the world.
I have told as many people as would listen to me about what this book is about. I hope more people can get there hands on this and know the name Theresa Yelverton.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 2.5 stars. A very well researched book, with a potentially interesting subject. However, Theresa Longwoth Yelverton just was not very likeable. However, it does give the reader an idea of just how restrictive society was for women in the Victorian era.

[Batesharbuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like a really interesting book, but it was pretty dry reporting in style. The protagonist, Theresa, must have been quite an adventurous person, but she didn't come across that way. A bit ho hum.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were very interesting, some not quite so much. I learned quite a bit about marriage law in the mid to late 1800's. I must say, Theresa Yelverton was an amazing woman, especially for her time.

[Sarah Coller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have been so interesting but instead it reads like a high school paper—-full of quotes and book-name dropping. I lost interest fast. There is literally quoted information on every single page—-sometimes in every paragraph!

[Feitong Wilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

very good and thorough research done. very hard to read as it wasn’t that captivating and Theresa as a person wasn’t very likeable. a very frustrating and tedious book to read.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent little book about Theresa Longworth/Yelverton, an Englishwoman who made headlines when she sued her purported husband for bigamy--according to Theresa, they had secretly married in Scotland, while Yelverton testified to living (and having sex) with her, but not under any legal arrangement. After ultimately losing her legal battle to be recognized as Yelverton's wife, Theresa became a world traveler and journalist, with stops in Utah, California (and an apparent crush/friendship--though not quite a dalliance--with John Muir), Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Spain, and South Africa (where she harassed Empress Eugenie as she mourned the death of Prince Louis-Napoleon in a skirmish with Zulu tribesmen). Theresa's story is unusual but somehow not terribly compelling--she comes off as a complex, egotistical woman prone to intense flights of fancy--despite her ignominy and laudable attempts to find a place in a world with no place for a single, adventure-minded woman. I can't quite put my finger on it--perhaps it's that Theresa never quite seems to finish anything? (One might argue that she never much starts anything, either...just seems to fall into new situations, at least in Schama's narrative.) All in all, a capable biography with a not-terribly interesting or sympathetic subject.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive debut by Chloe Schama, daughter of the famous historian, Simon Schama. My historical intake is usually limited to fiction and I do feel the need to be entertained as well as educated.

Certainly this is an entertaining, well written book. The story of the courtship and "marriages" of Charles Yelverton and Theresa Longworth fascinated the Victorian public and was the inspiration for Wilkie Collins' novel Man and Wife in which he criticised the state of marriage laws in the United Kingdom and how biased they were in favour of men. Indeed their story seems quite fantastical at times and was sure to cause waves in a society where keeping a stiff upper lip was a prerequisite.

Theresa first encounters Charles on a cross-channel ferry, having spent the previous few years cloistered in a French convent to "finish" her education. Coming from a trade background she seems a million miles from the aristocratic world of Yelverton. At times her pursuit of her beloved (tracking him down in the midst of the Crimean War, for example) seems bordering on obsessive, bunny-boiler behaviour. They engage in an epistolary romance sending each other passionate letters, the contents of which end up being read aloud in court at a later stage - an early kiss and tell story. Theresa who seems to be an intelligent, independent thinking woman is surprisingly gullible when it comes to accepting Charles' excuses for not being able to marry her - he claims he will be disinherited. Undeterred, Theresa proposes that she could be the breadwinner and support him - a suggestion which would not go down well in Victorian society.

In the end, Theresa does succeed in getting her man, marrying him not once but twice! According to Scottish common law at the time, Yelverton's declaration of marriage vows sworn on the Book of Common Prayer in a poky room in Edinburgh, constituted a legally binding contract. No witnesses were needed but Theresa still wanted the reassurance of another marriage, this time in a Roman Catholic church in Northern Ireland again with no official witnesses other than the priest officiating. They never set up home together and not long afterwards Theresa hears about Yelverton's marriage to a widow.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Theresa takes Charles to court in Dublin where the marriage in Ireland is upheld but six years later her appeal in the House of Lords is defeated. Not that any of these legal battles benefit her in the slightest and after some initial public sympathy she spends the remainder of her days travelling the world dabbling in public speaking, novel writing and journalism.

Wild Romance is more about Theresa than Charles and thus provides an interesting insight into the powerlessness of women in Victorian society. Theresa's relentless pursuit of Yelverton does make her seem disturbing at times but you can't help but admire her determination and courage. Fact is undoubtedly stranger than fiction!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the first half of this nonfiction book on the life of Theresa Longworth, but, the second half which chronicles her world-travels after her oh-so-famous trials left me bored.

I picked up Wild Romance: A Victorian Story of a Marriage, a Trial, and a Self-Made Woman because I'm a fan of Victorian literature. I've read a handful of novels that fall into the "inspired-by" category. Authors whose works deal with irregular marriages--Irish, Scottish, etc. Marriages whose legitimacy was sometimes called into question. Since in some cases, just saying "We're married" with no paperwork, no witnesses, no priest or clergyman could do the job. At the time, there was definitely debate about what made a marriage or union legal or illegal.

In the case of Theresa Longworth, she "married" allegedly married on two different occasions in two different countries, a man named William Charles Yelverton. In the moment, I suppose, he was willing enough. The couple traveled together as man and wife for a short time at least. But when the two separated, I believe he was in the military, he changed his mind. He found someone new, someone with money to marry. And marry he did. Theresa finding out after a very difficult illness that "her" husband was now married to someone else...and he was claiming that they'd never, ever been married. Furthermore, he started saying that she was chasing him, had been chasing him for years and years, and that she was the one who wanted a more intimate arrangement.

The first half of this one follows their "courtship" and "marriage" leading up to a handful of trials in a handful of countries. And these court cases meant big, big, big publicity. Especially for her, she had a way of winning the public's support...but not so much anyone else. Some thought his new wife was much, much classier mainly because she stayed quiet and stayed at home.

So the book gives readers very detailed accounts of their correspondence. And in a way, the book encourages readers to make up their own minds. Was Theresa Longworth pursuing him? Was she going above and beyond what was allowed of ladies of the time? Was there something indiscreet and shameful in her letters to him? Was she ever grounded in reality? Was William Charles Yelverton a jerk? Did he ever mean to do right by Theresa? Was lying to her about being married the only way he saw of getting her into bed?

The second half of the book, for better or worse, lets readers know what happened next in her life. And what happened next is that she started traveling the world. All over the world. She wrote about her travels and had them published. (She also wrote two novels, though reviews were mixed at best.)

The book concludes by discussing how this real-life court case inspired dozens of novels of the time.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A while ago I complained that I didn’t read the blurbs on books thoroughly enough and that I should endeavour to do so just so I know what I’m getting into. I forgot about that deal. I had absolutely no idea that the book I was buying was based on real life events; it wasn’t until I googled the names of these people, after reading the preface, that I realised that these people were indeed real and these events really did take place.



I really got into this book. I really enjoyed learning about the events and learning about these people. However, I think part of my strength in being able to read this book in its entirely comes from having to read various ethnographies for University subjects. It is very dense in facts and information and it also doesn’t really direct you in terms of who you should side with or why. It’s one of those vague situations where you’re given the facts and you have to make up your own mind.

That being said, I changed my mind multiple times during the book. I felt like Theresa was a bit of a stalker and Charles would have been better off not writing to her and getting some form of a restraining order. There were other times where I thought Charles was playing games with Theresa and he knew it, but she was young, naïve and didn’t really have those role models to teach her any better.



And then there were times when I thought they were both idiots.



I think Theresa’s story is a sad one. I think she was horribly misguided and led on by this guy, but it was by her own doing. She tries to present herself as this smart individual, but I feel like it wasn’t without it’s shortcomings. I feel like if she hadn’t gotten caught up with Charles, she would have done quite well for herself and potentially made an impact in terms of Women’s rights but I also feel like she was one of those girls who was smart enough to achieve a lot, but just couldn’t really be bothered.



She tries to escape this public acknowledgement of her being the victim but she also seems to thrive off of it. I don’t know, but she came across as a walking contradiction really.



It’s a good story nevertheless. I liked learning about these issues and thinking about how different the times are compared to back in the 1800’s. But a lot of patience is needed to read this book, there isn’t much a climax and after the trials, the book becomes a bit dragged out. I can see why and I can understand why, but I guess that’s just life, that’s Theresa’s life anyway.



It’s a good book, it really is interesting and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I got into reading it.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a library sale on bag day because it had an intriguing title for a non-fiction book. There was no dust jacket so I just took a quick peek at the first sentence of the Preface, which looked interesting, so I threw the book in my bag.*

The Preface was about how the author discovered Theresa Longworth and came to write about her and it turned out to be by far the best thing about the book. The author's research was more interesting than her subject. Theresa was delusional and I got pretty tired of her shenanigans in the first 60 or so pages. I almost didn't keep reading. It would have improved the book for me for the Preface to have been merged into the beginning of the book and the first 15 years of Theresa's story to have been minimized somewhat. The author was beyond sympathetic with Theresa, almost admiring, and I just didn't get it. Not that the object of her obsession was totally blameless, guys being guys. [I'm sorry, Allen, if you're reading this, but there are all too many men who, when a pretty girl jumps in the sack with them, will not check first to make sure that she is sane.]

There are numerous quotes from 19th century personages (relevant or not) but even so, some of the most florid prose is not contained within the quotation marks.

OK, this is just whining, but at least half of the illustrations were a waste of paper. Many were the size of postage stamps. Many were also too dark to actually see anything, which didn't matter because many of them were also irrelevant. For example, there was a totally useless (and irrelevant) map of Edinburgh that was actually microscopic. It might have been useful for an ant if he were trying to find his way around Edinburgh.

*The Kirkland library ran bag day differently from any other library I've been to. Other libraries have had us go in the book sale, fill a bag (their's or ours) with books and charged us $5 at the door as we were leaving. Kirkland sold us a big yellow tote bag for $5 on the way in and, when it was filled, we just walked out. My husband said "So what" but I thought it was a good plan. I ALWAYS fill my bag so paying on the way in doesn't bother me and now I have a big yellow tote bag. The library needs to get rid of books on bag day so having people pay on the way in encourages them to fill their bags and these re-usable tote bags advertise the library.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a difficult book to review; through the use of personal letters, newspaper articles, and court documents, Wild Romance has the feel of a memoir. However, Ms. Schama's use of Theresa's experiences also makes Wild Romance a social commentary. A reader feels this dual nature of the book via his or her feelings towards Theresa and Yelverton. Theresa comes across as needy, clingy, conceited and very self-absorbed, while Yelverton appears as a cold-hearted womanizer. Yet, while neither is the most likable of characters, the reader remains sympathetic to their individual plights. Yelverton was put into a situation by Theresa that was completely out of his control, while Theresa was born into her situation solely by being a female with more modern thoughts and opinions. Neither one is completely innocent, yet no one is completely guilty for their individual fates and notoriety their court dramas caused.

Ms. Schama, through Theresa's experiences after the trials, showcases her arguments about marriage and women's rights during the Victorian era. Many of these arguments and social values are no longer popular in the western world, thank goodness. However, Theresa's fate was more common than the newspapers might have one believe. Marriage was the end goal for females, and any female who felt otherwise was shunned and ridiculed while scandalizing society.. Theresa, with her unique background and modern viewpoints, had to carve her niche in the world using whatever means she could find. Ms. Schama capitalizes on Theresa's articles and personal letters to show the struggle Theresa faced to remain independent during a time when unmarried women had very few options and when married women had absolutely no options.

Overall, Wild Romance is well-researched and easy to read. The story itself is compelling and reads like a modern-day soap opera, complete with lust, adultery, and scandal. Given the popularity of the scandal, it is surprising that Theresa and Yelverton's story is not more well-known today, especially as Theresa's plight paved the way for marriage law reforms and feminism. Ms. Schama does a great job of exposing this drama to modern readers and makes for a great debut. I recommend this to history lovers and feminists to get a glimpse of what Victorian era women had to overcome.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild Romance tells the story of Theresa Longworth, a Victorian woman who broke out of conventions to get what she wanted. The first half focused on her pursuit of, affair with, and marriage to William Charles Yelverton, and on the trial that sought to determine if that marriage was valid. I really enjoyed this half of the book - it read quickly, held my interest, and presented a fascinating analysis of Theresa's strategies and the public's view of them. It looked closely at the expected roles of women in Victorian society, and the ways in which Theresa managed to cleverly sidestep them. I enjoyed reading about the various trials, and why the public or court favored Theresa or Yelverton, the factors that formed their opinions, etc. Although Theresa isn't exactly someone you can root for wholeheartedly, I still sympathized with her plight.

The second half, however, was a different matter. It tells of Theresa's life after the trials, and serves as a more detailed biography of her later life. I found that I didn't care much what happened to her - at least not in such detail. I felt as though since the trial couldn't be stretched to an entire book on its own, Schama filled the rest of the pages with every detail on Theresa's life she could find. Essentially, we follow Theresa on her travels, and travel she did, quite literally up until her death. Some passages were interesting, and she does further examine the roles of women - I did especially like Theresa's musings on the institution of marriage in various cultures, the search for a definition of that institution having consumed years of her life. Yet I felt the detailed descriptions of Theresa's experience in each country dragged on a bit.

Overall, a fascinating read that loses its momentum halfway through, but one I would recommend for those interested in the way the roles women were expected to play in Victorian society could be broken through.

[Paulette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won on Goodreads giveaway. From the beginning of Wild Romance I could feel the passion of Chloe Schama’s research for the characters and background for her book. This is a great true story about Theresa Longworth and William Charles Yelverton who meet in 1852. They secretly marry (twice with no witnesses) and after being separated awhile, Yelverton takes a “real” bride and moves on with his life. Theresa has to prove their marriage did indeed exist. The story is of an independent woman who made a life for herself despite what she went through with Yelverton.

Although this was a great story, I felt I was reading Ms. Schama’s thesis instead of a book for my pleasure. I don’t read many biographies, but there seemed to be so many quotes and footnotes that constantly distracted me from the actual story. I personally wish she could have taken more liberty to write this as a story based on fact and embellished in her own way rather than just list fact after fact (quote after quote and footnote after footnote) for me to read. The last chapter and the Epilogue I enjoyed most. Ms. Schama seemed to write more on her own than someone else’s words.

With the 22 pages of footnotes, four pages of image credits (which, other than the pictures of Longworth & Yelverton, I didn’t feel the images really served a purpose) and ten pages of index, this seemed to me more of a reference book?

The reason I enjoy reading is to escape to another place or time so I can lose myself in the story. I couldn’t get totally “lost” with all the “stated facts” from beginning to end, but I’m glad I learned about Theresa Yelverton along the way.

[Leslie Zampetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divorce may be easier and marriage laws more consistent, but Schama's exploration of Theresa Longworth's love affair with Charles Yelverton and its aftermath resounds with the modern reader, given its themes of obsessive love and the search for the self after subsuming oneself in that love. Indeed, WIld Romance resembles nothing so much as a scholarly version of today's chick lit.

The facts in the case seem derived from a Victorian potboiler, and indeed, inspired many such novels. A young woman meets a handsome young man in romantic circumstances and falls deeply in love, allowing her love to overcome her scruples and fear of society's judgment. The handsome young man accepts her attentions knowing that he needs to marry money - but is unable to resist her, even going so far as to contract an irregular marriage with her and then entering a possibly bigamous marriage with another woman.

Scham researched her subject thoroughly, and one can understand why she found it fascinating enough to abandon an earlier thesis topic. The writing is strong, with a prose style reminiscent of the era she brings to life. Theresa Longworth may not be the most attractive heroine, but readers will sympathize with her demand that society recognize her marriage and Yelverton's caddish treatment of her.




NB: I received this book through the goodreads.com giveaway program.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I was overly enthusiastic about this book. This is not some bodice ripper romance novel and nor did I think it was. What I do think is that there was something more that could have been done to make this more interesting. Women have been wronged since the beginning of time, no need to speculate about that, more often than not the heart is worn on the sleeve and much more is read into a situation that what is really there. Men are callous they will take the heart and feelings of a woman, work their charms and then drag them through dirt. The story of Theresa Longfellow is not different than the million others through the ages. Is she really a self made woman or just a woman resolved to being more than just a mere frail female? Yes, she is a woman with resolve and she stood some ground and wanted her affair, and I believe it was an affair, to stand for something more than it really was. It takes more than a piece of paper and empty promises to make a marriage and a home, it is obvious that this so called marriage had less than what a piece of paper could offer. The laws and rules that governed at the time were stringent and meaningless for a woman because the adage was that women were property and the man had the final say of what was wrong, right or otherwise.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild Romance is a fine account of the curious case of Theresa Longworth and her "husband" Yelverton. I say "husband" because his status as such is exactly what this book is about; an atypical courtship, a contentious matrimony, a sensational trial and a life spent in rebuttal.

Chloe Schama has done an excellent job of showing both sides of the Longworth/Yelverton story without pressing her personal opinion regarding the events on the reader too much. It's clear that Ms. Schama did thorough research and I appreciate her attention to detail in both the trial events and the description of life in Great Britain and America.

I wavered between liking Theresa Longworth and disliking her, believing her and disbelieving her, feeling sorry for her and *tsk-tsk*ing her. I imagine that many of her friends and aquaintences felt this same way, she clearly envoked emotion, whether or not she percieved that emotion correctly...well, that's the big question!

Several photos are included throughout the book but I found that they did not help to enhance my reading experience. I only mention this in hopes that the editors reconsider them before the final copies of the book are published.