The Uninvited – Dorothy Macardle

A gothic novel about a grown brother and sister who move into their dream house on the cliffs of Devonshire, in spite of warnings that the house is haunted by its previous occupants. 1941.

Professor Preston at Home – Elizabeth Corbett

A novel about an aging professor who accidentally hits a woman with his umbrella, and as a result his life quickly changes—to something better than he ever imagined possible. 1957.

Love – Elizabeth von Arnim

A novel about a younger man who pursues an older widow, much to the chagrin of their friends, family, and society in general. 1925.

The Constant Nymph – Margaret Kennedy

A novel about a circle of bohemian adults and children in the months following the death of their father and mentor, a brilliant but little-known English composer. 1924.

The Young Clementina – D. E. Stevenson

A novel about a woman who is heartbroken when the love of her life unexpectedly marries her sister; years later, when they divorce, she’s asked to look after their daughter. 1935. 

Juniata Valley – Virginia Cassel

A historical novel focusing on five families whose attempts at forging a life in the Pennsylvania wilderness are complicated by the dangers of the French and Indian War. 1981. 

Bel Lamington – D. E. Stevenson

A novel about a young secretary whose solitary personal life is stirred up by the unexpected appearance of an artist on her rooftop garden. 1961. 

Each Bright River – Mildred Masterson McNeilly

A historical novel about a wealthy Southern woman who goes to the Oregon territory in search of her fiance, but not everything goes according to plan. 1950. 

The Incomplete Amorist – Edith Nesbit

A novel about a young, naive woman who falls for a rakish artist, but fate and the woman’s family intervene to keep the two apart. 1906. 

The Corner Shop – Elizabeth Cadell

A novel about a woman who helps a grumbling professor catalogue his late mother’s possessions, and in doing so manages to change the trajectory of her own life. 1966.