Historical fiction readers know it’s no picnic being a famous author’s wife. These admirable women have endured their husbands’ egos, partying, and infidelity, supported them through illness, and sacrificed their own writing ambitions in their favor.

All of these were true of Jack London’s second wife, Charmian Kittredge London, yet she may be the least known of these heroines today. As such, biographical articles revealing the true history of her life and the couple’s partnership come as a surprise. A well-educated heiress and travel writer who personified the early 20th-century “New Woman,” she was hardly a shrinking violet. And still her importance in his life is overlooked because, as London’s muse, spouse, and editor, she held roles that were kept in his shadow.

Rosenberg’s strong debut, the first novel to focus on this deserving subject, presents Charmian in her element. An unapologetically bold and sexually liberated woman, Charmian loves her adventurous husband but chafes at settling for less than she deserves.

It opens at their extensive ranch home among the redwoods in Sonoma Valley, California, in 1915. President Wilson is weighing his options for entering WWI, and against this politically troubled historical backdrop, Charmian is doing her best to support her husband’s career: “Jack’s golden rule: write a thousand words a day. And my job is to keep him to it.” And if she can work in a “grand lolly” afterwards that will satisfy them both, and hopefully give her a child, so much the better.

However, their sex life is stalling, their new home’s construction is a money pit, and he discourages her writing efforts. Despite being a dedicated Socialist, he also gets upset when she points out the contradiction between his longtime beliefs and his desires to expand their land.


author Rebecca Rosenberg
While Jack encourages her flirtations, she quickly gets in over her head after she participates in an on-stage magic show by the charismatic Great Houdini – and forms an unlikely friendship with his wife, Bess, whose quirkiness and childlike looks belie a deeper wisdom. Depictions of Charmian’s complicated relationships with both Houdinis are a highlight of the book. The "Magic Man" himself has an electrifying presence, one to which Charmian isn’t immune.

Her passionate quest for love and purpose unfolds against the stirrings of war, Houdini’s death-defying escapes, and the surprising intersection between them (Houdini’s unique contributions to the war effort are fascinating, yet little-known).

Through her dynamic narrative, Charmian is presented as a flawed and fascinating character whose eventful life holds our attention. Her phrasings are occasionally clichéd (“…shatters my heart into a million tiny pieces”), but she comes across as a force of nature with an original outlook on her world.

From the sun-drenched waters of Hawaii to the skyscrapers of the nation’s capital, the novel explores the risks and secret joys of following one’s heart.

(published at Reading the Past)

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The Secret Life of Mrs London is a fascinating story about the wife of author, Jack London. I thought it was a great read and highly recommended.
5 plus stars.

Charmian London took care of Jack London, typing as he dictated, editing his work, catering to his need for constant attention from “the crowd,” and picking up the pieces of his alcoholic binges. Products of their time, the Londons settled into a routine where Charmian sacrificed her life to Jack’s success, much as her friend Bessie Houdini did for her husband. Although Jack’s dalliances are often referenced, Charmian and Houdini’s affair is only hinted at throughout the story, before being stated outright only after Jack’s death.

Small contradictions in this book had me going back for clarity so many times that I stopped keeping track of them, accepting them as a minor annoyance of the writing. The story begins well after the London’s greatest adventures, a shame, since they’re referred to so much that I really wanted to read about them. I know this is considered historical fiction, but I researched as I read, and everything I found agreed with Rosenberg’s version, including Bessie’s condition, which prevented her having children.

The writing didn’t flow well for me, as I was more interested in things other than all the titillating details of adultery. Near the end, two events stood out that distracted me from the story. When Houdini tends to Charmian after she’s drenched in the rain, he “lifts” her magically from the bed. We all know the floating woman is a trick, so this seemed superfluously silly in this scene. Later, after Bessie acknowledges the affair of her husband and best friend, grants her acceptance of it to Charmian, and shows her friend her secret room of dolls, she passes out and stops breathing. Charmian brings her back to life by calling her name and touching her face. Although the book was nearly over, I almost stopped reading here.

I received this book through NetGalley for an honest review. I enjoyed reading about Charmian London, but the secret life of her affair with Houdini was more melodramatic than intriguing. Still, it was interesting to learn more about the Londons and the Houdinis in general, and it sparked my interest enough to do a bit more research as I read.

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I am not very familiar with Jack London; beyond knowing he had written White Fang and Call of the Wild I knew nothing. This is precisely the reason why I didn’t actually put together that the titular character, Mrs. London, was the wife of this author until quite some time after reading the blurb and then setting down to read it. He is just so far off my radar at this point in time.

This is, however, the third or fourth book that I have read from the perspective of a wife of one of the world’s great male authors of the early twentieth century (Hemingway and Fitzgerald previously). As was my prior experience, I find that I don’t like most of the men at all, they all seem to have been perpetually drunk, the women were overshadowed even when they were writers too, and everyone had affairs with everyone else. Jack London appears to fit that mold quite well too.

Rosenberg did an excellent job of illuminating the mood of the pre-war era, the appeal of Socialism, and the atmosphere within which London and his gang moved. I never quite got inside his head, but we do climb right in to the mind and thoughts of Charmian, his second wife. She was a woman who was so passionately in love with Jack and was critical to his writing process and maintaining his legacy after his death, but she was not without her flaws, which made her such an accessible character, even if I had never known she existed before. She was a very complex and rich character and I especially enjoyed her interactions with Bess Houdini, that woman was a hoot!

As has happened in the past when I have read novels on the life of famous authors, it has stirred my interest in reading London’s works and I have even went so far as to check out online the historical park created of his home in California. If nothing else, these novels serve to reignite interest in the original author’s works.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review "The Secret Life of Mrs. London" by Rebecca Rosenberg. I was very much engrossed in this beautiful work of historical fiction. There was such attention to detail that it felt as if I was there myself. The story centers around Charmian London, Jack London's wife and muse. While her story is incredibly interesting, it was sad to see how she felt on the inside but did not really get to say on the outside. Even though this book was a work of fiction, it felt like each event had actually took place. Inspired by true events, it was hard to not root for Charmian London, even at the end of the book. An incredible woman with an incredibly amazing life. I truly look forward to what Rebecca Rosenberg. publishes in the future.

I know I'm in the minority with this review - most people are really enjoying "The Secret Life of Mrs. London" - however, I thought it was a 2.5 star read - a decent read that simply took far too long to engage me.

What I really liked:

Part 3. I thought that when the author brought Charmian London to New York City, that's when the story moved along at a pace I liked, and I also really started to like Charmian - I felt like she was finally coming into her own.

This is a book of historical fiction, and the research shines through. Rebecca Rosenberg mentions in her authors note that she has a long-standing love and appreciation of both Charmian and Jack London - and that can be seen in the care she took to represent them in her novel (and in all the research she did!).

So you might wonder why I didn't rate this book higher.

Sometimes a book just doesn't connect with a reader - and in this case, I found that I didn't connect with Charmian until we got to Part 3. I found that it was almost too much of a focus on her desire to be desired by Jack London; too much of a focus on trying to win him back. I found that because Rebecca Rosenberg was trying to condense 5 years of events into 2 years- that it made some aspects feel a little rushed / a little frantic. I think I might have liked the book more if we had gone back and forth in time - starting with Charmian going to NYC after Jack's death, and then bringing the story back to when the London's first met Houdini ... flipping back and forth in time.

That said. If you enjoy historical fiction - and you especially like fiction based on real people, I think you should give this book a shot.. Like I said, my response might just be that I didn't read it in the right mindset. Well researched and nicely written.

This was a great read. I was hooked from start to finish. The character of Mrs. London is gritty, poignant, and in tune with her own sexuality in the way that a wife and lover of the 1900's are not normally portrayed. I thought that the insights into Jack London's personal life, which are based in fact but are largely fantasized. His mercurial moods and whims dealt with adeptly by his wife. And charming cameos by the Houdini couple, who are bright spots in Mrs. London's life. The whole novel rolled up and took me with it, I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's a work of fiction based around historical people and I found that so intriguing. Jack London seemed like a mysterious genius and Charmian was his balance and could understand his depth of thought. I liked several lines from the book and this one fit me..."Jack's thought process dazzles and befuddles average folks." Charmian was able to take his thoughts and ideas and fine tune them. Charmian's love for Jack was what kept her with him even through his moods. She said in one part of the book, "Jack is the tornado and I am the vortex that keeps him swirling." Another quote that was in the book about how much Charmian loved Jack was this: (Charmian speaking) "Her favorite passage from "On the Makaloa Mat" "But oh, all the Pierce-Arrows and all the incomes in the world compared with a lover, the one mate, to be married to, to toil beside and suffer and joy beside , the one male man lover husband." To me she loved Jack no matter what he did or how he was....as messed up as their life and "free love" thoughts were. He was an eccentric and never cared about if there was enough money or what he did to get what he wanted. She was a strong woman to love him through all he did. Then there is the part of the story where the Houdini's are woven into their lives. Very interesting that they were actually friends and their lives intertwined after they met. I love historical fiction and this fit that so well. TY netgalley for the kindle version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's 1915 and America is struggling to stay out of the war. This is where we meet Charmian London, the wife of author Jack London. He is a man who seems larger than life, he is egotistical, self-serving as well as an alcoholic with tendencies towards Socialism. She, while also an author, does not do as well as her husband, and has her problems in living with a man who is so complex. Both have dalliances, although he is a man of many affairs. Through the course of their 9 year marriage, they have many complications to wade through and for her, in particular, much to put up with and quite a good deal of pain.

It is at a performance of Harry Houdini, when Charmian meets Harry Houdini, the magician who brings her up to the stage. He also has a complicated marriage but yet it would appear that he is "taken" with Mrs. London. Sending her cryptic messages, she soon becomes drawn into his magic.

This book was well researched and well written and one which I enjoyed. My thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was amazed at how quickly I was sucked into the trials and tribulations of Charmian and Jack London’s marriage. This book was especially meaningful to me as I live on the California coast where part of the story takes place. Charmian longs to be considered an equal in her marriage to Jack London. He constantly has an entourage hanging around and Charmian believes he is unfaithful. Jack is prone to bouts of drunkenness, stubbornness, tantrums, and self-destruction. Charmian immerses herself in trying to become a published writer, even though neither her husband nor his publishers takes her seriously. She eventually finds acceptance and a sense of equality in her friendship with magician Harry Houdini, who has marital issues of his own. Houdini’s wife becomes her good friend, and Charmian fights against feelings she has developed for Houdini. Rebecca Rosenberg is masterful in creating ingenious characters the reader will fall in love with!

This story didn’t really appeal to me. It wasn’t so much the writing as the content that put me off. I think someone more interested in Jack London would have enjoyed this more.

Oooooo Mrs. London. I feel so bad for you. You were certainly born in the wrong time. Not only did I feel for her, but I connected to her in some ways.


Mrs. London (Charmian) is the wife of Jack London who is a renowned writer. I know a small bit about his work, but not enough to express an opinion really. Mrs. London is also friends with the Houdinis. Yes, the famous Harry Houdini that we all know and scratch our heads at. I liked Harry's wife too. She was fun and I wish we got some more time with her.


I couldn't stand Jack. Sure, I was intrigued and a part of me felt bad since he was in a lot of pain and his wife was always wanted more and more sex from him and you could tell he either didn't have the time or was in pain. However, I thought he was a jerk a lot of the times and he was pretty open with his affairs (which most men were in the day). Don't get me wrong...Charmian was not a perfect angel either she had her affairs as well. Honestly, I think she made a mistake marrying Jack. She should've picked Lawrence. I think she would've been happier with him. Just my opinion though ;)


There were some dry spots here and there. Overall, though, I was hooked and I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to see what would happen next. I had my hopes that Charmian would get her wish to come true, but as time passed that wish would dry up and I felt so bad for her. I think if she was able to get her wish she might've been happier in her marriage. We'll never know though.


I find the writing was done well and I am curious to see what else this author has in store for us. Maybe she can show the Houdinis POV! I want to learn about that wife of his who will forever live in Harry's shadow. Poor girl. I liked her a lot.


In the end, this was good. I liked it a lot. Some dry spots, but I stayed hooked. If you like historical fictions or even want a good people book, I recommend this. Now....what shall I stamp this with? Mhmmmmmm....I'll give it 4 stars.

I received this book free from Netgalley. This did not influence my review.

I’ve never read anything by or about Jack London, one of the most famous writers of the early twentieth century. I knew him primarily as the author of the novel Call of the Wild. Although I’d never felt particularly curious about his work, I was nevertheless eager to read a historical novel based on his wife.

The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg gives a fictional first person account of the life of Charmian Kittredge London. Devoted to her husband, Charmian acts as muse, secretary, editor, and enabler. The once athletic, handsome adventurer is now a gouty alcoholic suffering from kidney disease. Their once-passionate love life has faded into a near platonic literary partnership. Jack plays warped psychological games, pushing her towards other men then becoming furiously jealous, possibly in order to experience emotions that he can then use as inspiration for his writing.

Charmian is getting a bit tired of it all.

Nevertheless, she works tirelessly to maintain both the marriage and Jack’s career, even though the commitment stunts her own ambition. Charmian is strong, healthy, adventurous, and smart. The novel gives one the sense that Jack is dragging her down.

A turning point occurs when she and Jack meet Harry Houdini and his wife, Bess. Both being strong-willed women married to celebrities, Charmian and Bess bond, striking up a true friendship. Jack and Harry don’t hit it off as well. Their egos clash and they constantly engage in macho one-upmanship. It’s a bit one-sided though, since Houdini is at the top of his game, while Jack is fading into a caricature of his past self. But within the foursome, the strongest attraction is between Houdini and Charmian.

As her relationship with Jack suffers one too many traumas, Charmian takes comfort in the cautious, intriguing advances of Houdini. But what kind of relationship can she ever expect to have with a man in the world’s spotlight–a man married to a friend?

This is a beautiful book that takes us deep into the heart of a very conflicted woman, yearning to be loved and desperately in love with her husband, though with eyes wide open to his flaws.

If you enjoyed The Paris Wife or The Other Einstein, you will enjoy this book about Charmain London. She was the second wife to Jack London. They had many famous friends, like the Houdinis. Jack, like many artists, was temperamental to live with. One week he could be a loving, doting husband, and the next week he could be aloof. Charmain tried hard to be her own person and author but lived under the shadow of her husband. Charmain desperately wanted to be loved, and even though Jack was not always willing to give her that love he would mentally punish her if she sought it out elsewhere, often while he was spending his time with other companions.

Jack and Charmian London are both authors who are living the good life in San Francisco in 1915. Charmian has put her career on hold to support Jack's career. He dictates his books while she transcribes them on the typewriter and then does all of his editing. They seem to have a very strange marriage with Jack being more interested in his writing than being a husband to Charmian. One night, they go to a Harry Houdini show and Harry calls Charmian to come up onto stage to help with a stunt. There seems to be a strong attraction between them that makes things very interesting. Harry's wife, Bessie, is a strange, quirky character which adds to the story. If you like a good historical fiction book, this will not disappoint you.

Jack London wrote powerful stories, lived a full and adventurous life, and, if this book is to believed, was a troubled, strange man who needed his wife to manage his writing and their lives. Historical fiction, this story felt like the idea of a marriage seen through present-day eyes, with plenty of research to establish the time and social norms. While I was unable to finish it, possibly there are readers more familiar with London and his time and place who will enjoy spending time there.

I don't have an inkling of how or where I should be starting off in reviewing this beautiful book with an interesting story. Here is a book that mixed fact and fiction like water and alcohol. Near convincing, making it such a great read!

The only book that I've ever read that was written by Jack London is The Call of the Wild. It had been a few years since I read the book, so I couldn't really recall the events that took place in it. Although I am knowledgeable that Jack London is a known writer in the world of literature, I have little knowledge about his life. And so, through this book, I caught a glimpse of it. Some of its themes include love and personal growth.

What I found interesting was that Rosenberg's writing style consisted of specific descriptions. From the type of wood that a furniture is made out of, to the type of champagne the characters drank. This paints a vivid imagery to the reader resulting to a beautiful narrative that one can thoroughly experience while reading. I enjoyed how truth and fiction is woven together intricately that it got me going around the internet to look up if this and that really happened or if it's simply a figment of the imagination.

I'm rating the book with four stars, however, because it felt like the synopsis was a bit far from what I expected of what the story is all about.

I really enjoyed this book! My only complaint was that Jack was continually lighting Imperials - the word began to grate on my nerves at the beginning of the book. Towards the middle/end it was interchanged with 'cigarette' much more and that, to me, was easier to read. The cover is fantastic!

This is a historical fiction story set in the early 1900"s. Charmain London is married to the novelist Jack London. She is a feisty, independent older woman compared to her husband, who is a few years younger. This story explains about how she met Jack and her role in their marriage. It also explains her relationship with Harry Houdini and his wife Bessie.
I was hooked from the beginning, but as the story went along I didn't really care for Charmain. I did't care for the fact that she really pursued two married men. That may or may not have been factual, but it put me off. I did love the time period, but for such an independent woman, I also didn't believe that she would really tolerate the treatment she received from her husband. For me this was a fair read.