Cover of Red Pottage by Mary Cholmondeley Ebook Red Pottage
Ebook · Fractal Press

Red Pottage

Author
Mary Cholmondeley
Language
English
Length
358 pages
ISBN
9781836103202
Published
12 March 2026
Imprint
Fractal Press
  • Victorian fiction
  • Female friendship
  • Religious hypocrisy
  • Manuscript burning
  • Nervous illness
  • Suicide
  • Broken engagement
  • Psychological drama
  • Social constraints
  • Moral judgment

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Description

Friends Rachel West and Hester Gresley navigate Victorian society. Rachel, an heiress, loves weak-willed Hugh Scarlett. Hester resides with her pompous vicar brother, Archibald, who despises her own writing. He burns her manuscript, triggering Hester's nervous collapse. Hugh's past dishonor surfaces; Rachel ends the engagement, leading to his suicide. A sharp critique of religious hypocrisy and patriarchal control over women's art and lives in England.

Author

Mary Cholmondeley (1859–1925) was English novelist of psychological depth. Born aristocratic, she explored Victorian women's constraints. Her breakthrough, "Red Pottage," depicted repression and greed. She portrayed claustrophobic domestic settings, blending mystery with realism. Unmarried, she channelled observation into fiction. Her work influenced feminist literature.

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