Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Oxford University Press, USA (1993), Paperback, 480 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: This domestic drama from beloved author Wilkie Collins focuses on the abiding power of family, whether by birth or by chance. A profoundly disabled girl is adopted by a loving family, but her true origins are shrouded in mystery. When a few intrepid friends begin trying to find out more about her history, a wholly unexpected chain of events is set into motion..
User reviews
LibraryThing member JBD1
This took a bit for me to get into, but once I did, I enjoyed it. The resolution to the mystery was pretty clear well before the end, but no real matter there; it was interesting to see how Collins resolved it.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This is one of Collins's less well known novels, but is still a good example of his solid grasp of the essentials of a sensationalist mystery novel. The mystery essentially revolves around the identity of the father of Mary ("Madonna") Grice, a deaf and dumb child of around 10 years old, a man who
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abandoned Mary's mother, the young woman he had made pregnant. Different characters have different levels of knowledge about the truth of Mary's origins, so there is more mystery for most of the characters than there often is for the reader. I liked the interplay between the characters though and enjoyed this, albeit in a somewhat more low key way than Collins's greater works. The author's depiction of Mary as a disabled child who is somewhat more than just a passive figure was seemingly quite unusual for the time, and he apparently researched it quite well. A good read. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1854
Physical description
480 p.; 7.2 inches
ISBN
0192830929 / 9780192830920