Charles & Catherine: A Scandalous Marriage

Charles & Catherine: A Scandalous Marriage reveals the shocking private life of Charles Dickens, the most famous writer of the Victorian era, and the author of A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield. To the public, Dickens appeared a champion of kindness and morality, but behind closed doors, he treated his wife, Catherine, with a cruelty that stunned those who knew the family. After more than twenty years of marriage and ten children, Dickens suddenly turned on her with no warning. He began openly criticizing her weight, ridiculing her looks, and even calling her a pig in conversations with friends. He forced Catherine out of their home with very little money, stripped her of almost all control, and kept most of the children for himself. Dickens was secretly involved with young actress Ellen Ternan, nearly thirty years younger. Dickens hid Ternan in private apartments rented under false names. He paid all her expenses, bought her gifts, and moved her whenever rumors got too close. Di