I was ever so sad about the cancellation of BBC’s Gentleman Jack – it’s the lesbian, thinking person Downton Abbey, in case you’re not familiar. And now, having read this biography of Jack’s wife, I’m thinking maybe they did end it at just the right time. It would have been terribly depressing going forward.
Why so? Well, because it’s kind of a sad story. It’s a love story, for sure, and a passionate one at that, but ultimately, not a very happy one. But then again, the main premise of this biography is that a woman mustn’t be defined by the actions of their spouse (however famous or infamous) alone. To that end, the author has done some admirably meticulous research and created this excellent portrait of a woman of her time. Fleshing out character traits and personality from glimpses, references, empirical evidence of the time and Ann’s own (albeit scant comparing to her wife) diaries, Batley brings Ann Walker’s life to…well, life. Exactly as intended. Was it a good life? Well, not especially, but then again, Ann Walker did not live at a time that was particularly kind to women, especially women who dared to row against the current as it were. Ann was very much a woman of her time in great many respects, a charitable wealthy religious woman deeply entangled within the web of her family. Not regarded as particularly strong mentally or physically, she had always been treated as such by people around her. In fact, her life is punctuated by episodes of what now would have been described as anxiety, depression, etc. and back then was a locked-up-able offense. And then, there was Jack. Who swept into her life comet-like, and changed it forever. All of Ann’s reluctance, all of Ann’s upbringing and ides couldn’t make her stay away. The two of them begun a scandalous affair, disapproved by virtually all around them, and despite it all, ended up being married (after a fashion). And then, like so many married couples they proceeded to make each other desperately unhappy. A tragic fate, really, for such an awesome historical first as a first lesbian marriage. They were together for six years during which Jack cheated, lied, and went through Ann’s money like water. And yet, Batley does a great valiant effort of teasing out the softer moments, the genuine signs of love and affection between the two. The relationship didn’t last; death did them apart six years in. Ann ended up committed by her family and then quietly retired to fade away. Neither Jack nor his wife had lived long, and yet, Jack’s words have preserved them both, ensconced in diary pages as if in amber. And isn’t that awesome to contemplate? Now Batley restores some of the imbalance of the relationship by presenting the other side, for there are always two. And does a great job of it. A very good biography and a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
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