RATING: GOOD IN PARTS
SPOILERS!!!
After Emilie discovers her husband's unfaithfulness, he goes away, but Sarah, the maid, stays. Sarah tells Emilie that she is pregnant and needs her help. Yet, Emilie refuses to do anything about her and tells her to leave, and she does.
Emilie continues with her experiments, and when she uses a larger amount of saltpetre, there is an explosion and she is injured. Mrs Gill looks after her, and when she is better, she tells her that she is ashamed of her because of the way she treated Sarah. Mrs Gill says that she can't understand the choices Sarah has had to make in life. We learn that before meeting Aislabie Sarah had to turn to prostitution after she was abused as a young child. Mrs Gill says that Sarah tried to get rid of the baby, but the person who tried failed and left her insides a mess. So Mrs Gill thinks that Sarah may die and even the baby.
Before the explosion Emilie discovered where her father had his diaries, so she asks Mrs Gill about these, and the woman brings them. In these diaries Emilie uncovers the secret of her mother and her birth. Her mother, also called Emilie, was a prostitute who came to Selden when she was big with child. John helped her and started thinking that he would like to bring up the child as it was obvious that Emilie wouldn't survive labour. He thought of the child he would call his son, and he was first disappointed when the child turned out to be a girl. Yet, little Emilie soon wins his heart. Emilie dies, and John and the Gillses agree to come up with a story about Emilie's mother to tell her when she grows up.
John teaches Emilie everything from the very beginning, but he is afraid her head may be turned by men, so she keeps her protected from the outer world. It is when Shales first comes when he is afraid because he thinks Emilie likes her. That is why he falls out with him, but his mistake is with Aislabie. Emilie finishes reading the diaries in which John leaves evidence of his love for her.
Emilie is determine to go and find Sarah, so she and Annie, one of the maids, travel there, and they stay in the house where she first lived with Aislabie. Emilie and Aislabie meet for the first time after many weeks, and he tells her that he is planning to leave for Africa on his ship. It is obvious that things are strained financially. He doesn't know where Sarah is even though he is aware that she came looking for him when she arrived in London. Annie and Sarah try to find Sarah, and they also visit Aislabie's ship, and the man in charge shows them around. It is evident that her husband has cut costs by failing to add certain safety measures to the ship.
When Emilie returns to the house, there is a message from Aislabie with Sarah's address. Annie and Emilie go there, and they find Sarah very sick and in labour. Emilie pays for a midwife, who manages to save the baby, but Sarah dies. Emile decides to keep the baby girl, Aurore, and take her to Selden. Before leaving, Emilie and Aislabie bid each other goodbye, and we understand that Aislabie's ship may sink during this voyage as he has forfeited safety measures.
Emilie goes back home, and then she goes to show Aurore to Shales. That is where the novel finishes, with a veiled hint that Shales and Emilie may get together in the future.
I found the novel interesting, but some parts dragged too much for my taste. Also, I found certain attitudes in the characters unbelievable. For example, the way Aislabie kissed and touched Emilie in the presence of others, and how he and Emilie received Shales once wearing their bedclothes. Or when Emilie talked bluntly about sexual matters to other women.
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