Wealth, madness, greed and social history weave through Paul Bouchet’s remarkable biography of Restoration-period Elizabeth Cavendish.

We are fortunate that Paul will be discussing his book An Absent Life: Elizabeth, the “mad” Duchess of Albemarle, 1654–1734 on Sunday 31 May.

Paul reveals the moving story of a woman overlooked by history, whose remarkable story resonates through the centuries.

With extraordinary access to collections and libraries, Paul has uncovered the story of a fragile, emotionally stifled, and barely educated woman confined to a gilded cage by her powerful, dissolute husband: the third-richest man in England.

Surrounded by the artistic pleasures and luxuries of the Restoration, she grows increasingly unstable, searching in vain for affection and meaning. Dragged unwilling to Jamaica after the discovery of a vast treasure on the Caribbean seabed, Elizabeth returns home two years later; deranged, yet now the wealthiest widow in the land.

The “mad duchess” spirals deeper into illness, tricked into a secret marriage and confined by her husband who covets her colossal fortune.

This is the story of a long, privileged, but ultimately doomed life: from the extravagance of the Restoration court to the rigid respectability of Georgian England, an era when women were sidelined, childlessness scorned, and mental illness mocked. Erased by gatekeepers of the family reputation, Elizabeth Cavendish can now finally step into the light.

A riveting read. A combination of deep detective scholarship and brilliant story-telling, this book shines an empathetic beam of light inside the cruel reality of the “mad” duchess’s locked-away world. If ever a life demonstrated that wealth and happiness have nothing to do with each other, this is it. —Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Join Paul in discussing a fascinating life from a fascinating period, when he speaks at The Star Inn, Alfriston from 3pm on Sunday 31 May.

(We are not issuing tickets, but instead keeping a guest list for the afternoon.)