Mary Cholmondeley
Prisoners: Fast bound in misery and iron tells the story of a young Englishwoman living in Italy, caught between the obligations of marriage and the pull of a forbidden love. Surrounded by beauty yet constrained by societal expectations, she faces an emotional struggle intensified by the return of a long-absent figure from her past. The chance reunion rekindles powerful feelings, forcing her to confront the widening gap between her inner desires and the life she is expected to lead. From the opening scenes on a balcony overlooking Rome, the narrative captures her vulnerability and longing, blending moments of romantic intensity with the quiet resignation of entrapment. The story examines the cost of emotional compromise, the complexity of love when bound by convention, and the painful choices one must make when happiness defies social boundaries. Rich in atmosphere and emotional tension, it unfolds as a delicate balance between passion and propriety, with each page tightening the web in which the heroine finds herself ensnared.