Hailed by Virginia Woolf and many others as one of the all-time great letter writers, Jane Welsh Carlyle, wife of Thomas Carlyle, is not as well-known today as she should be. In this compelling new biography for the general reader, Kathy Chamberlain brings Jane out of her husband's shadow, revealing her to be a remarkable woman and writer in her own right. Caught between her own literary aspirations and Victorian society's oppression of women, Jane Welsh Carlyle hoped to move beyond domestic life and become a respected published writer. As she and her husband moved in exclusive London literary circles, mingling with noted authors, poets, and European revolutionaries, Carlyle created and reported to her correspondents on her rich, rewarding life in her Chelsea home - until her husband's infatuation with a wealthy, imposing aristocratic society hostess threw her life into chaos. Through dedicated research and unparalleled access to Jane Welsh Carlyle's private correspondence, Kathy Chamberlain presents an elegant portrait of an extraordinary writer.