“On the day the drafted men march away, Ruth MacDonald catches John Cameron's eye and waves to him. In the excitement of the moment they both forget the social barriers that lie between them and only remember they were schoolmates as children. From this a friendship develops that has far-reaching results. To Ruth, spoiled daughter of the rich, comes a new conception of life, of war, of love. To John comes tests of fire before he finds himself. Here is the absorbing romance of two people who searched through the devious paths of a warring world for fulfillment and happiness.” - Dust Jacket, 1919 Edition. Note: Chapter numbering skips XI, like the original chapter numbering in the first edition.
Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel was serialized in Cornhill Magazine from 1864 to 1866, and completed by her editor posthumously. It looks at English life in the 1830s through the experiences of Molly Gibson, the daughter of a widowed doctor growing up in the provincial town of Hollingford. When Mr. Gibson decides to marry again, Molly is forced to contend with a pretentious stepmother, but consoled by a close friendship with Cynthia, her new stepsister. The girls' relations with the local residents, particularly the Squire of Hamley Hall and his family, make for incidents comic, romantic, and tragic, by turns.
Eight Cousins, or The Aunt-Hill was published in 1875 by American novelist Louisa May Alcott. It is the story of Rose Campbell, a lonely and sickly girl who has been recently orphaned and must now reside with her maiden great aunts, who are the matriarchs of her wealthy Boston family. When Rose's guardian, Uncle Alec, returns from abroad, he takes over her care. She is suddenly confronted with a male guardian and seven male cousins, none of whom she knows well.
Julia Cloud, the oldest--and most responsible--child of her family, helped raise her four siblings due to their mother's long-time illness and father's death. After faithfully nursing two ill brothers (who died), she then cared for her invalid mother for many years. When Julia's mother passes on, her only surviving sibling Ellen fully expects--and nearly demands--that her spinster sister come live with her family. But to earn her keep, Julia must be their live-in housekeeper and babysitter for Ellen's four children. But Julia's college-age niece and nephew arrive unexpectedly from California and offer Aunt Cloudy Jewel a surprise opportunity she never expected in her wildest dreams.
The story of Selina DeJong and her son Dirk, whom she affectionately calls So Big. After the death of her husband, Selina raises So Big on her own while managing her deceased husband's farm in Illinois. When So Big grows up, he moves to Chicago, where he finds himself drawn to the fast-money stock-broker lifestyle of the 1920s. So Big is conflicted: he wants to live in the world of speculation and finance, but he's aware that his mother (and his love interest, an artist) are disappointed that he hasn't lived up to the hard-working, hardscrabble values instilled by his mother.
Impetuous, self-centered Rhoda goes to boarding school and learns hard lessons. This is a story of recklessness and forgiveness.
Cradock Nowell: a Tale of the New Forest is a three-volume novel by R. D. Blackmore published in 1866. Set in the New Forest and in London, it follows the fortunes of Cradock Nowell who is thrown out of his family home by his father following the suspicious death of Cradock's twin brother Clayton. It was Blackmore's second novel, and the novel he wrote prior to his most famous work Lorna Doone.
The Egoist is a tragi-comical novel by George Meredith published in 1879. The novel recounts the story of self-absorbed Sir Willoughby Patterne and his attempts at marriage; jilted by his first bride-to-be, he vacillates between the sentimental Laetitia Dale and the strong-willed Clara Middleton. More importantly, the novel follows Clara's attempts to escape from her engagement to Sir Willoughby, who desires women to serve as a mirror for him and consequently cannot understand why she would not want to marry him. Thus, The Egoist dramatizes the difficulty contingent upon being a woman in Victorian society, when women's bodies and minds are trafficked between fathers and husbands to cement male bonds.
Aunt Lucretia — 'Crete' to her family — is a sweet, patient older woman, who lives with her narrow-minded sister and spoilt niece, acting as their unpaid and unappreciated domestic servant. When they leave town in order to avoid the unexpected visit of a "backwoods" cousin, she is left at home to welcome him. She's willing to love him whatever he's like, and he's looking for a home having lost his mother years before, so the two are ready to become fast friends. But what does that mean for Aunt Crete's prejudiced relatives and how can their wrongs against her be remedied?
The world’s most confident, most chaos-creating eleven year old boy is at it again in these fourteen glorious and funny 1924 short stories.
Turn of the century sibling rivalry between successful but uptight California businessman and his ne'er-do-well older brother, both widowers with equally-different 20-ish daughters. Written in 1911.
Catherine Vernon has a firm hand on her family and on the family business. Her plans for her young protege Edward, whom she loves like a son, are disturbed by the arrival of Hester, a 14-year-old girl who is just as strong willed. The conflict between Catherine and Hester is resolved through their mutual love for Edward. On one level a love story, Hester is unusual for its time in its portrayal of women in business.
Marcia Copley, an American Heiress, comes to Rome. Typically for the period, she may want to attract an aristocrat. He brings the title, she brings the money to support it. Her adventures in Rome are different than she anticipated. Rich and poor live side by side, and the author does her best to describe both walks of life vividly and truthfully. Jean Webster is the author of Daddy Long Legs and Dear Enemy. This particular novel would also please fans of Henry James and George Gissing.
After the Civil War, Harriet and her husband Charles bought an Orange Plantation in Mandarin, on the upper east coast of Florida, where they lived during the winter months. Over the years they expanded their cottage to accommodate many guests (now a museum open to the public). They opened schools to educate and churches to care for the recently freed negros pouring into Florida seeking refuge and opportunity. These charming essays, each describing a largely undeveloped rural land, became one of the first travel guides written about Florida and stimulated the first boom of tourism and residential development to that area. Stow describes its waterways, flora and fauna, the generosity of the people, the lush abundance of flowers, farmer's efforts to develop crops, Negro relations with whites, correspondence with famous persons, etc.
This book continues the delightful "Elsie Dinsmore" series. Elsie's children, introduced in the previous volume, live life, grow up, and encounter various problems of their own.
This is the third book of the Pixie O’Shaughnessy trilogy. In a story of love lost and found, Pixie matures from an inexperienced young lass into a wise woman.
"Richard Mutimer is delighted to inherit a large fortune. As a socialist, he means to use it well: he will open a factory in which workers would be treated well, he will advance his party's causes through his own wealth... At least, so he thinks. But reality may be far different. This novel raises more questions than answers. How much should money play in the marriage market, or can love have a prominent place? Can a man who gained power remain a socialist? This book is not only about political unrest. It is a story of a man who changes, for better or worse, and all the forces that shape him. Like other works by Gissing, it describes the London slums in the 19th century, the conditions of the working class, and a few families (some dysfunctional and some great). It was a favourite of George Orwell's, who developed some of Gissing's earlier themes in his own works. It is also reminiscent of works by authors such as Anthony Trollope. It is the only novel by Gissing which was adapted into film."
This novel was written by Margaret Widdemer, who won the Pulitzer prize for her collection of poetry in 1919. Phyllis is a 25-years-old children's librarian. She is good at her job. Yet when she sees a girl from her hometown with two children, she discovers she wants more. She marries an invalid who is expected to die. Would she find the love and sense of belonging she craves for? And would he really die?
Note: This book is in the public domain in the USA. The author died in 1978 so may still be protected by copyright in many other countries.
The Maid of Maiden lane is a wonderful love story in which Mrs. Barr intertwines the hot political and social issues that were occurring in America during the last decade of the 18th century with an excellent love story plot. Some of those issues include: the moral dilemma and debate over the French Revolution, and how that event touched the lives of the immigrants in America; the prejudices between the immigrants from England, and those from France or Holland, and how those animosities affected the ordinary lives of the people; and the political debate over titles, foreign policy, and such things(for example)as where the capital of the nation was to reside, New York or Philadelphia. The author gives us a picture of New York City that is vastly different from today, with it's residential areas and tree lined roads as the backdrop for this very interesting drama. Cornelia, the Maiden of Maiden lane, is loved by two young men. Who she chooses, and the obstacles that the two face because of the opposition of their fathers, friends, and a huge mistake that turns everything upside down, propels the story towards its climax, where a surprise character, spiritual in nature, comes to the rescue, while sacrificing her own desire for love to help the two lovers. Good character, love, and the family ties and relationships that existed during those times are very well portrayed by the author, and the book is as interesting from a historical point of view as it is from a truly interesting and sweet old fashioned love story.
The immensity of the gulf between England and the United States manifests itself on several levels in this story of a young girl’s innocent exploration of personal relationships.
Catherine Vernon has a firm hand on her family and on the family business. Her plans for her young protege Edward, whom she loves like a son, are disturbed by the arrival of Hester, a 14-year-old girl who is just as strong willed. The conflict between Catherine and Hester is resolved through their mutual love for Edward. On one level a love story, Hester is unusual for its time in its portrayal of women in business.
This book is a wonderful way to learn about how the prairies were years ago, but you will hardly feel you are learning because you will be caught up with the 'little girl', living with her as she grows up far away from any large city. Very well written, in this book you live, worry, and rejoice, along with the little girl. Whether it is through a prairie fire, raising some interesting and queer pet, having fun at some big prairie-time event, or worming her way out of trouble, the little girl continues to grow, until at the end, you leave, not a little girl, but a young lady stepping into womanhood.
Teddy is a little boy who cares about his father's button more than anything in the world. He wants to be in the Queen's army when he grows up, but his pastor tells him how he can be a soldier in God's army while he is still young. Teddy has many ups and downs as he tries to be a good soldier for his Captain, Jesus Christ.
George Gissing was one of the most accomplished writers of realism in the Victorian Era. Also The Paying Guest is a great example of realism, which closely pictures the class struggles of the time. The Novel opens at the breakfast table of the Mumfords, when Mr. Mumford draws the attention of his wife to an advertisement in the newspaper of a young lady searching a home with a respectable, well-connected family in London. After some consideration, the Mumfords decide to answer to the advertisment, and a few weeks later, Miss Derrick moves in with them. Tensions are inevitable.
Published in 1886, this novel encompasses a small community wherein Veronica, having lost her own mother, is “adopted” by a neighbour, Gertrude, who has a son of her own. The son, Dietrich, is learning how to become a saddler as his father before him. Their life is filled with hard work, but also some contentment. From the mother they now share, and two other matronly neighbours, Dietrich and Veronica learn valuable lessons about life. As the years pass, Dietrich and Veronica encounter trouble due to the mischief of two peers, and Dietrich more so as he is often tempted to frequent, along with others, the new tavern nearby.
A sweet, old fashioned Christmas romance set in an old New England meeting house.
This book continues Sentimental Tommy, also in the Librivox catalogue. Tommy grows up and marries Grizel. But life is not only roses and rainbows. This book has all the elements of a good love story, but it is also a book about growing up and finding out your distinct voice in the world.
This 1915 novella was published as the First World War raged. "Belgium lies bleeding. Across her level, lush meadows the harsh-shod hosts of war have marched. Beside her peaceful waters the sons of God have spilled each other’s blood. Beneath her noble trees have raged the fires of human hate. Her king and his brave warriors have fought to save that which was their own and, driven back, have left their smiling land to suffer the desolation which has ever been the conqueror’s boast. Her ancient cities smoke. The inspired craftsmanship of an elder day has been destroyed forever. Belgium lies moaning. Across the winter sea we have heard the wailing of men and women among their ruined homes—honest townsfolk, simple Walloon and Flemish peasants, who had borne no malice and had done no wrong. And amid the cries of anguish and despair there have come to me the weeping of a little girl named Lisa and the voice of a faithful dog whining for his master."
Described as the Great Book of Wonders by Arthur Miller, this everyday tale of fraternal affection, sibling rivalry, obsession, lust, parricide, family intrigue, spiritual faith, death by economic deprivation and ultimate salvation in the soul, boasts (among other wonders) the perfect role for Marilyn Monroe, had Arthur only ever written the play. Madness, murder, mayhem and the courtroom drama to end all courtroom dramas it may be, but it is also (strangely) hilariously funny. It's all in the point of view.
Written over a century and a half ago, Madame Bovary is still an extraordinarily fresh, exciting and shockingly frank novel, at once an acute psychological study of a woman drawn into adultery through circumstances we can partly understand, and a sharply-observed comedy that offers a fascinating glimpse of the social and cultural divisions running through French provincial society in the mid nineteenth century. This translation is by Eleanor Marx-Aveling, a prominent social activist and literary translator. She was the youngest daughter of Karl Marx.
Possibly Wilkie Collins' most famous novel, The Woman In White remade the Gothic Horror novel by taking its characters and tropes and setting them in commonplace surroundings among "people like us", Featuring unforgettable characters such as the incomparable Count Fosco and the redoubtable Marion Halcombe (a woman for whom male Victorian readers politely inquired of Wilkie the address as they wanted to marry her), The Woman In White with its compassionate treatment of those suffering mental distress ought to be credited with having put the cause of mental health care a hundred years ahead - had not Jane Eyre with its madwoman in the attic been generally credited with the reverse. Read it for the female doubling central plot device alone - a rare feature in the writing of men about women.
Reading this book, I had a vision of a land, heretofore sunk in the mists of muteness, suddenly rising up into the eminence of song. Innumerable books have been written about the South; some good books have been written in the South. This book is the South. . . . . Part One is the primitive and evanescent world of Georgia. Part Two is the threshing and suffering brown world of Washington. . . . Part Three is Georgia again . . . this black womb of the ferment seed: the neurotic, educated, spiritually stirring Negro. From the Forward by Waldo Frank
When country girl Polly Milton comes to visit her friend Fanny Shaw, city life isn’t all she had hoped it would be. Thrown in the middle of a dysfunctional family, Polly remembers the teachings of her wise mother, and does her best to plant seeds of cheerfulness, honesty, and respect -- and teaching virtue by example.
Four years later, Polly returns to scratch out a living as a music teacher, but finds herself mixed up in much more than piano lessons. Through heartache and love triangles, temptation and tragedy, Polly’s story shows that even the dreams of old-fashioned girls can come true.
The Homesteader is a semi-autobiographic novel about Jean Baptiste, an African-American homesteader in the Dakotas. He meets Agnes who he falls in love with, however as Agnes is presumed to be white, he is not allowed to marry her, so instead he marries the daughter of a black preacher, Orlean, which eventually, due to family issues, ends in a tragedy. Returning to his homestead, he finds Agnes again and discovers her upbringing and past, which brings the book to its conclusion.
Following Katy's recovery in What Katy Did, Katy and Clover go to Hillsover, a boarding school. Together with their new friend Rosamond Redding, or "Rose Red", they form a Society for the Suppression of Unladylike Conduct--but then they are accused of sending notes to a boy outside the school. Katy and Clover know they have nothing to do with it, but can they prove their innocence to the teachers and principal before they are expelled?
A compelling love triangle. Marcia is young and sweet. Her older sister Kate is vain and selfish. Marcia deeply admires the man that Kate is to marry: handsome and respected David Spafford. But on the eve of the wedding, Kate elopes with another man. Marcia is there when the note is found...the note that effectively breaks David's heart. Out of pity for his situation, Marcia offers to take Kate's place, in order to save David from humiliation. She grows in love for him, all the while aware that he's still grieving for his lost Kate. What will happen when Kate returns, fully intending to get David back? Will Marcia have the strength to fight for the man she now loves?
John Peerybingle, a carrier, lives with his wife Dot (who is much younger than he), their baby, their nanny Tilly Slowboy, and a mysterious lodger. A cricket constantly chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family, at one point assuming a human voice to warn John that his suspicions that Dot is having an affair with the lodger are wrong.
The life of the Peerybingles frequently intersects with that of Caleb Plummer, a poor toymaker employed by the miser Mr. Tackleton. Caleb has a blind daughter Bertha and a son Edward, who travelled to South America and seemingly never returned. Tackleton is now on the eve of marrying Edward's sweetheart, May.
In the end, the lodger is revealed to be none other than Edward. Tackleton's heart is melted by the Christmas season, like Ebeneezer Scrooge, and surrenders May to marry her true love. It is suggested ambiguously that Bertha regains her sight at the end. (Wikipedia)
Based on the author's own life, this book tells the story of "little sister". The youngest of eleven, she is unwanted in the beginning. The brother who loved her most, and whom she loved most in the world, is Laddie. She is almost lonely, and it's hard for her to study, so her comfort is nature. In an unforgettable way, which is funny and sad, little sister tells us her story.
A charming family story told from the viewpoint of a nine-year-old girl. “You don't seem to understand," I whispered. "It's Christmas relationships that are worrying Carol and me so! It worries us dreadfully! Oh, of course we understand all about the Little Baby Christ! And the camels! And the wise men! And the frankincense! That's easy! But who is Santa Claus? Unless—unless—?" It was Carol himself who signaled me to go on. "Unless—he's the Baby Christ's grandfather?" I thought Derry Willard looked a little bit startled. Carol's ears turned bright red. "Oh, of course—we meant on his mother's side!" I hastened to assure him.” - Quote from the book.
Anyone who is, or has been, married knows that marriage takes work. While some marriages may be 'made in heaven', others, quite simply, are not. This short anthology comprises stories of the second variety, as expounded by some of our favorite authors: Conan Doyle, Gissing, Kipling, D'Arcy and Morrison.
A delightful collection of short stories by some of the luminary authors of the Victorian era. These stories explore the truth behind the Victorian marriage.
Life abruptly changes for young socialite, Grace Durland., when her father goes bankrupt and she is forced to earn a living. Thrust into a new life, she meets -- and falls in love with -- a married man. She faces condemnation from friends and family alike, and although Ward Trenton reciprocates her feelings, his wife refuses him a divorce. Once again, fate intervenes in the form of a serious accident.
This book was written about 150 years ahead of its time. It tells the story of Emmeline Mobwray who grows up in a dysfunctional family and has to find herself against all odds. Orphaned at a young age, she has to stay alone in a remote castle under the care of a kind housekeeper. But when the kind housekeeper dies, the family starts to take interest in her- to mixed results. Her cousin becomes obsessed with her, much to the displeasure of his wealthy and arrogant parents. Thus, Emmeline is forced to run away from the only home she knew in order to escape his attentions. Would Emmeline be able to stand up to him at the end or, like many of her contemporaries, would she be forced into a loveless match? Can Emmeline survive in a society predominated by wealth without money or connections? And is Emmeline's family the only one with problems? Throughout the novel, Emmeline learns to create and sustain true friendships and grows up to her role as a woman of that era- with all that it entails."
The Coming of Bill tells the story of Kirk Winfield, his marriage to Ruth, and their child called Bill. Bill's upbringing is threatened by the interference of Ruth's busybody writer aunt, Mrs Lora Delane Porter
At the opening to this second sequel to Miss Billy (Miss Billy, Miss Billy's Decision, Miss Billy Married), we find Bertram and Billy finally at the altar. Will wedded bliss ensue and are the patter of little feet on the horizon? Or is misunderstanding and heartache in the cards again? Find out in Miss Billy Married!
Praised by Oscar Wilde amongst other contemporaries, Amy Levy's first novel tells the story of the four Lorimer sisters, who decide to open their own photography business after the death of their father which has left them in poverty. The novel examines the opportunities and difficulties of urban life for the "New Woman" in the late nineteenth century. Not only was Levy unusual as a female novelist in this period, but she was also from an Anglo Jewish family.
A collection of short stories by celebrated authors on the subject of successful marriages. Pieces originally appeared in other publications between 1858 and 1900 and were brought together by Walter Besant.
The tale of John Peerybingle, the good-hearted carrier, and his young wife Mary ('Dot'), interwoven with the story of poor toymaker Caleb Plummer, his beloved blind daughter Bertha, and the harsh old toy merchant Tackleton, who is due to marry May Fielding, a childhood friend of Dot. Comic relief is provided by Tilly Slowboy, the disaster-prone nursemaid of John and Dot's baby, and Boxer, the family dog.
The cricket who chirps on the family hearth assumes fairy form to save the day when disaster looms in the form of a mysterious stranger. Sentimental? Certainly - but this, the third (1845) of Dickens' short Christmas books, is as charming and irresistible as its predecessors A Christmas Carol (1843) and The Chimes (1844).
The novella is subdivided into chapters called 'Chirps', similar to the 'Quarters' of The Chimes or the 'Staves' of A Christmas Carol.
Virginia does everything right: she attends a finishing school, marries the first man who proposes, and devotes her life to her husband and children. But what happens when each one of them has a life outside the home in which she has no room?
First published in 1893, this novel came to question many subjects which were considered taboo. Through a few interconnected plots and sub plots, the story examines the role of women and the different opportunities women and men had. Through the twins of the title, a girl and a boy, and through two other ladies we discover the Victorian world in a different light. What does a woman have to do if, after marriage, she discovers very unsettling things about her husband's past? Yes, society expects her to stay with him and honor the marriage. But what if she is not willing? What are women expected to do when trapped in loveless marriages? The book also examine in many ways the idea that women are not inferior to men and should receive the same education, information about life, and preparation for the real world. This book received much academic attention. It is a must read for all feminist fiction admirers, history lovers, and many more from every field. It tells about Victorian society as it really was.