Set in the revolutionary period of the 17th century, Read My Heart blends biography and history in the story of the love affair of Dorothy Osborne and William Temple.
Meeting during the English civil war and pursuing romance despite parental opposition, Dorothy and William’s story is of love against all the odds. Dunn focuses on the electrifyingly passionate letters that provide a detailed record of their relationship during their seven-year separation. Dunn brings the varied and interesting characters of her story alive amid evocative descriptions; but one gets the impression that the complexity of the historical background has been simplified to make for an easier read.
Somewhere between a historical novel and a work of non-fiction, Read My Heart is a lively and tender account of a turbulent time of change and intellectualism, seen through the lens of romance.