The deserted wife: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The deserted wife: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The deserted wife is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte (1819–1899).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
The Deserted Wife by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth is a novel written in the mid-19th century. It opens with a sharp critique of hasty marriage and easy divorce, then moves into a domestic drama set in Maryland’s fading planter world. The story centers on gentle, steadfast Sophie Churchill, who raises her orphaned niece on a decayed estate, becomes close to the kindly Emily May, and draws the troubling attention of the new minister, John Huss Withers. Themes of duty, temptation, and social judgment loom, hinting at betrayal and peril ahead. The opening of the novel combines an essay on the causes of unhappy marriages—defective moral and physical education, lax social discipline, and premature unions—with a vivid setup: the ruin of Heath Hall and the proud, impoverished Churchill line. Sophie, left to rear little Hagar with only an ancient servant, finds solace in the friendship of Rev. Senex May and his young wife, Emily; plans to unite their households end abruptly with the old pastor’s sudden death. His successor, the austere John Huss Withers, exerts an icy, magnetic presence that unsettles Sophie, culminating in a tense ride to church and a mysterious apparition in the woods. Back at Heath Hall, a desperate fugitive slave invades the house; Withers subdues him, but Sophie secretly frees the man and aids his escape. Withers then begins visiting Sophie, probing her mind and loneliness with cool, philosophical talk of “ennui” and purpose, while his personal interest becomes unmistakable. The section closes with his intimate address and Sophie’s wary withdrawal, foretelling conflict.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The deserted wife
- Author credits: Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte (1819–1899)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- American fiction -- 19th century
- Maryland -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Novels
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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