Improper Proposals

Berkshire, 1870

Newly widowed, Caroline Boothroyd passes her days writing a guide for young wives daunted by their housewifely duties. She takes it to publisher Thomas Cathcart-Ross, who makes the outrageous suggestion that Caroline should instead tackle the subject of marital relations-and, even more shocking, that she should tell women that sex with their husbands can be pleasurable and not a shameful necessity.

Tom's sisters were sent into marriage naive and unworldly. He's willing to r...