Undersong

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This historical novel reimagines the enigmatic life of Dorothy Wordsworth during her "lost years." In 1816, young James Dixon, a jack-of-all-trades recently returned from the Battle of Waterloo, encounters Dorothy in Rydel, Westmoreland. In her thirties, Dorothy defies social conventions, living an extraordinary life as her brother William Wordsworth's confidante and creative partner. She has chosen to forgo marriage, creating a seemingly idyllic existence in the Lake District, where she spends her days walking and documenting her observations of nature and rural life, while aiding William in his literary pursuits. When William enlists Dixon for work at Rydel Mount, he soon realizes his real task is to watch over the increasingly frail and melancholic Dorothy. Their unusual bond deepens over the decades, drawing Dixon into the intimate world of the Wordsworth family and their notable acquaintances, including Samuel Coleridge and Charles Lamb. Through the lens of Dixon, a compelling literary creation, the novel explores Dorothy's complex legacy and the hidden emotional and artistic life of a woman determined to live on her own terms. It also reveals the unacknowledged struggles of women of her era, including the tragic story of Dixon's own sister, weaving a rich tapestry of personal and societal challenges.