AN UNCONVENTIONAL WIFE : THE LIFE OF JULIA SORELL ARNOLD
by Mary Hoban 

Julia Sorell was the kind of woman that everyone admired and befriended. She was beautiful, outgoing, warm-hearted, and passionate  of anything that was of interest to her. Julia was born during the Victorian Age in Tasmania. She was not one of those women who were silent. When she married Tom Arnold in 1850 it thrust her into one of the most eminent intellectual families in England. Her husband, Tom, was considered to be a cultivated scholar. They loved each other deeply. This would become the only good thing from their relationship. Tom tried to change her. They had differences of opinions when it came to the meaning of marriage. Julia stood firm in her beliefs. Discord between them began to grow, and it really exploded when Tom decided to become a Catholic. Julia was a staunch Protestant, and refused to convert with him. The conflicts of both religion and marriage would last over thirty years, and would affect the lives of their children, plus other people who knew them.
An Unconventional Wife is a magnificent biography. For too long Julia Sorell Arnold  has been in the background, because there's been books written about Tom but not on her. Author Mary Hoban has a wonderful style of writing that draws you right in. She needs to write more books. Hoban brings to life all the nuances of both Julia and Tom with such understanding and empathy. It's very interesting to read about a woman who wanted to be independent (she struggled with that) but would instill in her daughters to think and be this way. Julia somehow rose above all the stress and friction. Very highly recommended.