E. Oe. (Edith Oenone) Somerville
The Real Charlotte
"The Real Charlotte" by E. Oe. Somerville and Martin Ross is a novel written between 1888 and 1890 and published in 1894. Set in rural County Galway, the story centers on the scheming Charlotte Mullen, her beautiful young cousin Francie Fitzpatrick, and the married Roderick Lambert. Their intertwined lives unfold across three households in a complex web of ambition, desire, and social maneuvering. Critics have called it a masterpiece with Balzacian power, featuring a title character so formidable she becomes an unforgettable force of nature.