Henrietta Temple

Henrietta Temple. A Love Story (1837) was based on Disraeli's secret affair with the married woman Lady Henrietta Sykes with whom he broke the relationship in 1836 when he found out that she had taken another lover. This semi-autobiographical novel is a good account of Disraeli's early passionate relationship and his ambivalence towards women. He abandons the political theme in the novel and concentrates almost entirely on the love story. In addition to the interest of the autobiographical element the novel also poses some questions about the identity of the main male character. Illustrated by Francis Vaux Wilson