Susan Pedersen

Burn This Letter begins with a compelling mystery: Why did so many letters between Lady Frances and Lady Betty Balfour start with the phrase, 'BURN THIS!'? What were they hiding? Alike in many ways—political, passionate, argumentative, and deeply intelligent—Frances and Betty became close friends when they became sisters-in-law. However, there was a complication: Frances was in love with Betty's husband....

A remarkable story. We must be grateful that the recipients ignored one another's frequent exhortations to set fire to the missives after reading... Pedersen is as interested in her heroines' social lives as she is in their political ambitions. And here is where the book earns its place on the history curriculum... Fascinating New Statesman BURN THIS! Why did so...