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. 

Minerva – Marion Chesney

A Regency historical novel about a vicar’s daughter who is sent off to London to make her debut, with specific instructions to make a wealthy match and thereby help her debt-ridden family. 1982. 

 

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. 

Random Harvest – James Hilton

A novel about a man who wakes up one day in 1919 and finds he can’t remember anything about the last three years of his life. 1941. 

Still Glides the Stream – D. E. Stevenson

A novel about a man who retires from the military and returns home to Scotland, where the wartime death of his best friend and neighbor is still strongly felt. 1959. 

Blake’s Reach – Catherine Gaskin

A Regency historical novel about a young woman who sets out to restore her family’s crumbling coastal estate, and in the process must throw her lot in with smugglers. 1958.