Juliet Nicolson

My mother’s secret life was a Dickensian horror story

Justine Cowan discovers, too late, how her cruel parent had herself endured a brutal upbringing at London’s Foundling Hospital

A sketch of the foundling maids in 1901. Beneath their smart uniforms they wore shapeless, brown serge shifts as a constant reminder of their origins. Credit: Bridgeman Images
  • Comments

  • The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames: A Memoir

    Justine Cowan

    Virago, pp. 320, £20

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Mark Lynas

Children could die because of Greenpeace’s Golden Rice activism

First, a word of warning. If you donate money to Greenpeace, you might think you’re helping save the whales or the rainforests. But in reality, you may be complicit in a crime against humanity. Last week, Greenpeace Southeast Asia and several other NGOs managed to stop the cultivation and use of vitamin A-enhanced rice in

Because you read about cruelty

Also by Juliet Nicolson

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in