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.

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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.

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. 

The Vet’s Daughter – Barbara Comyns

A novel about a young woman who has a desperately ill mother, a violent father, and yet in the midst of never-ending hardship possesses a secret of her own. 1959. 

Come Out of the Kitchen! – Alice Duer Miller

A novel about a man who rents a house for the season and keeps having problems with the servants, especially the particularly pretty cook. 1916.

The Brontes Went to Woolworths – Rachel Ferguson

A short novel about a family of girls who, though beyond the usual age for make-believe, happily live in a world populated by their collective imaginings. 1931. 

Hannah Bye – Harrison S. Morris

A novel about a young Quaker woman whose best friend is led astray when a traveling salesman visits the community. 1920. Continue reading →

Wish Her Safe at Home – Stephen Benatar

First published in 1984; reissued by the NYRB in 2010

 

A novel about a middle-aged woman who inherits a house and is thrilled by the prospect of a new life, but somehow lets her enthusiasm carry her a bit too far. 1984. Continue reading →