Charles Dickens's Secret Lovechild

Reexamines Charles Dickens and Ellen Ternan’s relationship, proposing a bold new hypothesis of filial rather than romantic ties.

For nearly a century, the relationship between Charles Dickens and Ellen Ternan has been viewed through the lens of scandal, defined by rumours of a hidden love affair. But what if history’s assumptions are wrong? This groundbreaking analysis dares to ask a question that no biographer has ventured to explore: could Ellen Ternan have been Dickens’ daughter?

Examining Dickens's letters and his works from Oliver Twist through to Edwin Drood, this book provides the first comprehensive look at the possibility of a filial bond between the two. Unlike previous biographers, who have focused on the years after 1857, Brian Ruck traces Ellen’s potential impact on Dickens’ life and relationships from her earliest days, casting new light on his increasingly strained marriage to Catherine Dickens. Through careful reinterpretation of existing material, the author uncovers a plausible and previously unexplored explanation that challenges the prevailing narrative.

This thought-provoking work does not claim new evidence but offers a rigorous alternative interpretation of Dickens' life, one that weighs the probabilities and presents a fresh hypothesis grounded in literary analysis.