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| Plot Summary of The Maiden |
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"In 1720, and nineteen year old Jemmy Morland is the oldest son of Matt Morland who runs the family sheep farm and textile business. He is dismayed when his father arranges an advantageous marriage for him with Lady Mary Newcastle. He's in love with his cousin Aliena. When Aliena reveals they are too closely related for marriage, he is sad. Lady Mary is in reality painfully shy. Her snobbish, arrogant attendant Lady Dudley does not help Mary's integration into the Morland family. In spite of this, Jemmy and Mary start to open up to each other. This hopeful beginning is shattered when Mary overhears Jemmy's negative comments thinking he is talking about her, although it is Lady Dudley he doesn't like.
The strained relationship continues throughout their married life. Mary dotes on their two oldest sons. Jemmy develops a connection with only their youngest child, Jemima. When father Matt dies, and leaves Jemmy sole inheritor of the family estate, his brothers are furious. It's up to Jemmy to provide for those who can't manage to make their own way. When small pox strikes the family, Jemima is the only child to survive. There is further uproar when Jemmy decides to make Jemima the sole inheritor rather than picking a male heir from among his nephews.
The relationship between father and daughter grows stronger as Jemmy teaches Jemima the family business. Jemmy dies from an injury sustained while he is on his way to the Jacobite rebellion against Hanover King James II in 1745. Unfortunately, Jemima is not yet of age, and has to obey her mother's wishes to marry her cousin Rupert. When she moves to his home in London, she finds out her married her soley for her money and estate that he fully plans to use in gambling and loose living. It is up to Jemima to find a way to save the family and its legacy from ruin. "
Susan Coffey, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Maiden |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 18th century
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- marriage/relationship going to pieces
Family, struggle with
Yes
Struggle with:
- inheritance
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Lover is
- extremely shy
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- homemaker
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 5 (an average amount)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- farm
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Unusual Style:
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Susan Coffey
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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