Undersong

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This stunning historical novel reimagines the "lost years" of the misunderstood Romantic Era genius, Dorothy Wordsworth. In 1816, young James Dixon, a local jack-of-all-trades recently returned from the battle of Waterloo, meets Dorothy in Rydel, Westmoreland. In her early thirties, Dorothy has defied social conventions, living an extraordinary life as her brother William Wordsworth’s closest confidante and creative collaborator. Forswearing marriage, she has created an idyllic existence in England's Lake District, filled with long walks, diary entries on nature, and support for William’s literary endeavors. When William enlists Dixon for handiwork at Rydel Mount, it becomes clear that his unofficial role is to watch over Dorothy, who is becoming frail and melancholic. An unusual bond forms between them, and Dixon is gradually drawn into the intimate world of the Wordsworth family, encountering notable figures like Samuel Coleridge and Thomas de Quincey. Through Dixon, the author explores Dorothy's complex legacy and the emotional and artistic life of this unorthodox woman. The narrative also highlights the hidden traumas and unacknowledged lives of women during her time, including Dixon's own doomed sister, weaving a rich tapestry of personal and societal struggles.