An early novel of gothic thrills and chills from the beloved author of Little Women. One of four stories written under the penname A. M. Barnard, Behind a Mask was originally published in 1866 for a young adult audience. Set in Victorian-era Britain, it follows the machinations of Jean Muir, a governess hired by the Coventry family to care for their sixteen-year-old daughter. Winning the confidence of the clan proves easy for Jean, though she does raise some suspicion. And rightly so. Behind closed doors—and beneath her brilliant disguise—Jean reveals her true identity: a cunning and ambitious actress whose goal is nothing less than securing the Coventry family’s estate and fortune for herself. “The stories proceed from title to thrilling conclusion at a swift pace. Real page‐turners, they would be called today, their spareness the more admirable because the author, who was paid by the column, nevertheless restrained herself from long descriptions of sunrises and sunsets. Indeed, she is completely uninterested in weather of any sort, unless it is necessary to bring on a dramatic chill or a bit of enervating heat. She cares for character, the more vivid the better. If many of her character‐establishing phrases were clichés of their time they were deftly handled, and, in any event, they seem a welcome change from the clichés of our time.” —The New York Times on Louisa May Alcott’s A. M. Barnard Tales
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Frost would kill the last of the blackberries and gooseberries that I'd found for us to subsist on. The acorns were long gone. I'd been lucky to find a crab ...
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Table of Contents A good deal of water had run under Beulah Bridge since Letty ... and the third, Deacon Todd's eldest son, had somehow or other met a siren ...
Table of Contents A good deal of water had run under Beulah Bridge since Letty ... and the third, Deacon Todd's eldest son, had somehow or other met a siren ...
“Casey is fairly withdrawn now, so don't be discouraged if she won't talk.” Andi puts a hand on my shoulder. “I'm sure your presence here will be a comfort to her.” “I hope so.” What if Casey doesn't even want to see me? “Let's go.
Casey sets the dining room table and eats with us, telling stories about Luke that make us laugh and make Luke's face grow redder and redder. “If I'd known all my deepest secrets were going to be spilled tonight, I'd have suggested we ...
A classic science fiction novel from bestselling author Neal Shusterman is back in print.
Deftly entwining swashbuckling action and quiet magic, Maggie Tokuda-Hall's inventive debut novel conjures a diverse cast of characters seeking mastery over their fates while searching for answers to big questions about identity, power, and ...