The Marriage Contract

Synopsis

‘Once she had thought of them, their love, as a fortress that nothing, not giants nor dragons nor men with fists and minds of gore could tear down. She realises now, that their love is malleable, mouldable, breakable. As soft as dreams.’

Summer in Worcestershire, 1577. Eliza Litton, a talented artist, is in love with childhood friend, Francis. But her tyrannical father, who rules the household with insults and fists, has other ideas. As summer comes to an end, Francis vanishes after a drunken night at the inn and Eliza’s father forces her to marry a gentleman, Edmund.

Thrown into a new, unfamiliar life with her husband who appears distant and cold, Eliza cannot tear herself from the memory of Francis. Yet her feelings for Edmund soften with time; he presents a life to her better than she ever dreamed. He provides her a safety she never had beneath her father’s roof and encourages her to paint, to pursue the things she loves.

As she begins to fall for Edmund, Francis is adrift on his own voyage, doing all he can to survive, fixated on returning to Eliza.

But as Eliza grows closer to Edmund, she uncovers a deceit she never imagined, causing her to question her own loyalties and commit her own betrayals. After everything, who will Eliza be? And what choices will she make?

The Marriage Contract vividly portrays life in the precarious and unforgiving Elizabethan era, exploring love’s many forms; how we can betray the ones we love, and how we can find forgiveness; and explores a woman’s fight to follow her desires and find her autonomy.

Praise for this Book

‘A richly detailed historical novel, beautifully written with descriptions that conjure such vivid images for the reader that you feel as though you are there, treading in the characters’ footsteps. The story is stark and raw, real in a way that has you holding your breath, showing all of life’s joys and cruelties without sugar-coating. Love, painful and wonderful in turn, as well as the devastation of loss and grief. And a woman’s struggle for some measure of freedom at a time when females had no autonomy. There is very little in the way of Tudor politics, which is great – I much prefer a story that focuses on the characters and their daily, ordinary lives at the time. Also, although the heroine marries a gentleman, she doesn’t inhabit the claustrophobic world of the Tudor court. Instead, apart from a brief visit to London, the setting is the countryside in all its glory. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.’ —Christina Courtenay, author of Echoes of the Runes

‘The Marriage Contract is beautifully-written portrait of Elizabethan England and the lives, trials, and subtle powers of the women who existed – and found unconventional ways to thrive – within its rigid social constraints. Butler’s sentences are exquisite, her research is impeccable, and the world she conjures is wonderfully evocative. A must-read for historical fiction lovers.’ —Katie Bishop, author of The Girls of Summer and High Season

‘The Marriage Contract is a beautifully atmospheric, searingly romantic novel that is ultimately a celebration of female empowerment and self-discovery. This book broke my heart over and over again, and I loved every word. Eliza, Francis and Edmund will haunt me for some time.’ —Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

‘An immersive and luminous debut; I was swept away by Butler's exquisite storytelling and the complexities of Eliza Litton, at once defiant and vulnerable, sensitive and fierce.’ —Elizabeth O’Connor, author of Whale Fall

‘Poignant and insightful both in its understanding of the human soul and its examination of love in its different forms – it’s a book that challenged me, made me think and stayed with me, in all the best possible ways.’ —Nicola Cornick, author of The Secrets of the Rose

‘An elegant debut: Butler writes skillfully about the complexities of love and its many guises.’ —Sarvat Hasin, author of The Giant Dark