The novel ‘The Sealed Letter’ by Irish author Emily Donoghue starts off with a rather unassuming plot that gains momentum until you find yourself at the epicenter of what can be described as a ‘rubber-band’ ball, where you are thronged by tense elastic bands, each one representing a different facet of our human sensibilities; conscience, desire, insecurity amongst many others.
The year is 1864 and the ever-resilient, serpentine Helen and her stoic Naval Officer husband Harry have all but given up on their hollow marriage but this bleak arrangement is shattered when secrets begin to unravel. A tangled mess of treachery ensues and the appropriately named loyal friend of Helen, the seemingly innocent Emily Faithfull among many others become ensnared in the deadly web.
What struck me about this book was the depth that Emily Donoghue bestowed upon her characters. How flawed, conflicted and utterly human each of them are in their thoughts and actions. There are no antagonists or protagonists in this story, simply people stumbling through the convoluted pathways of life, some of whom find themselves led down the more sinister ones.
This book takes an unabashed look at two of the most sacred unions known to us; marriage and friendship, and how little our notions of the two have changed over centuries. The climactic end plays out in a stuffy courtroom, ultimately alerting the reader to the alarming fact that life mimics a court of law and anything you say or do, might at any time, be held against you.

-Tara Fazelbhoy-