MAXINE GORDON meets the North Yorkshire historical writer whose story about a Victorian sex scandal is now a major movie.

IT would be fair to say that Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a bit obsessed with the Victorians.

Her home in the tiny village of Nun Monkton (a few houses and a village green) may be a renovated farm worker's cottage from the 1940s, but her passion for the 19th century is evident inside.

Cosy would be a word to describe this residence, home to Suzanne, husband and fellow historian John, their daughters Beatrice, seven, and Rosalind, 12 – a chorister at Minster School, York – rescue cat Crumble, and their two hens.

Downstairs the floors are either wooden or laid in square, ox-blood-red tiles, with log-burning fires in each room. Suzanne, an expert in Victorian history, works from home, writing at the kitchen table.

"In summer, I open the hatch on top of the front door; in winter, I light the fire," say says.

The walls are a perfect Victorian green, and it took the decorators two attempts before achieving a shade befitting a William Morris print. Morris's influence extends to the curtains too, which feature one of his designs.

Suzanne was born in Surrey but moved to North Yorkshire almost a decade ago when her husband took a post at the University of York (specialist subject: the Tudors).

Suzanne works freelance, and has a varied CV as both a curator and lecturer. Her latest project is a historical book about Effie Gray, who was at the centre of a Victorian sex scandal and whose story has been turned into a movie, out this month. It stars Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay), Greg Wise (Thompson's real-life husband and ex St Peter's boy), with Dakota Fanning in the lead role.

Married at 19 to John Ruskin, a leading art critic of his day, Effie found herself trapped in an unconsummated union. When Ruskin invited his protege, the pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais, to join the couple on holiday, Effie and the artist fell in love.

Desperately unhappy, Effie's only escape was to share her secret with the world. She went on to have the marriage annulled by proving that after six years with Ruskin she was still a virgin, and then wed Millais, with whom she had 40 years of marriage and eight children.

The film tells of Effie's struggle to escape her loveless marriage, but Suzanne's book carries on the story, revealing what's Effie's life was like with Millais.

Suzanne was able to piece together Effie's full story after gaining access to an archive of letters belonging to the Millais family – the first historian to do so.

While she was working on the book, she learned that a film project about Effie was under way. She got in touch with the producers and soon received a surprises call. "It was from Greg Wise. We had a long conversation about Effie. It was great, at that point, I didn't think there was anybody apart from me that interested in the subject."

Wise was not only interested, he was lining up to play Ruskin in the movie, with Thompson playing Lady Eastlake, friend and confidant of Effie.

Suzanne believes Effie's story intrigues us today because she was a woman who stood up for herself – and won. "She made a stand and showed it was possible to escape an abusive relationship," said Suzanne.

One of Suzanne's favourite stories is how about five years after Effie left Ruskin, now married to Millais and a mother to two children, she and Lady Eastlake turn up to a lecture in London given by the great critic. He is so flustered, he has to leave mid-way through his talk.

Her research was hugely satisfying not least because it revealed a happy ending. She said: "Effie gave 40 years to a marriage with Millais that was incredibly successful. She did all the things she had intended to do with Ruskin in London. She was at the heart of the art world."

Suzanne insists the Victorians are fascinating because their lives are easily imaginable.

"So much of what Effie experienced we can experience in our families and in the choices we make, " she says. "Women's life choices are still difficult; how you negotiate family and work and domestic responsibilities; responsibilities to children and parents. Women still spend their lives juggling."

• Effie Gray, by Suzanne Fagence Cooper is published by Duckworth Overlook, priced £8.99

• A special screening of the movie, Effie Gray, will take place at York City Screen on October 18 from 1.30pm, including a Q & A with Suzanne.