The Head of the House of Coombe

Frances Hodgson Burnett

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(4.8 stars; 16 reviews)

While renowned for her beloved children's literature, Frances Hodgson Burnett's talent extended to historical novels. Originally serialized in 1920 in Scribner's Monthly, 'The Head of the House of Coombe' was met with immense popularity, leading to its full publication in 1922 in two volumes, as it distinctly deals with two epochs. The first, The Head of the House of Coombe, deals with social life in London during the evolutionary period between the late Victorian years and the reign of Edward VII and that of his successor, previous to the Great War. It brings Lord Coombe and Donal, Feather and her girl Robin to the summer of 1914. It ends with the ending of a world which can never again be the same. The second novel, Robin, to be published later continues the story of the same characters, facing existence, however, in a world transformed by tragedy, and in which new aspects of character, new social, economic, and spiritual possibilities are to be confronted, rising to the surface of life as from the depths of unknown seas. Readers of The Head of the House of Coombe will follow the story of Robin with intensified interest. (Summary by Rapunzelina, plus Publisher's Note) (11 hr 20 min)