They are drifting apart because of financial difficulties. Roland returns home and argues with his girlfriend, Val. Ellen thought Christabel’s work was underrated and misunderstood by the general public. She allows Roland to read Ellen’s private journals and commentary on Christabel’s work. Roland approaches the researcher Beatrice Nest, who has the private journals of Randolph’s wife, Ellen Ash, who was also a friend of Christabel’s. Maud discovers two sets of mysterious letters, but the Baileys decide not to let her read them until they can have them appraised. They visit Christabel’s grave, and then meet Joan and George Bailey, who own the house where Christabel stayed when she was living in the area.

Maud thinks he is dishonest but agrees to keep the letter a secret for the time being. He confesses to Maud that he stole the letter from Randolph’s book, though he intends to return it. Maud gives Roland the journal that belonged to Blanche Glover, a friend of Christabel’s, and he begins to read it for clues. He seeks out Maud, who is an expert on Christabel and oversees the collection of her unpublished papers in the library. Pressed in the pages, he discovers a romantic letter to Christabel. The story begins as Roland reads a book that once belonged to Randolph. The first follows modern-day academics Roland Michell and Maud Bailey as they research the correspondence between Victorian poets Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte, whose story makes up the second narrative in the book.

The novel contains two parallel timelines. In 2005, Time magazine included the novel in its list of 100 Best English Language Novels from 1923 to 2005. In 2002, it was adapted into a film, and between 20 it ran as a radio play on BBC One. Published in 1990, it won the Booker Prize in the same year. Possession is a historical fiction novel by A.S.

Possession antonia byatt