Ravensmere

A Novel of 19th-Century Rural Dorset

 

In 1830 England, 18-year-old orphan Geneva Everson is plotting her escape from an untenable home life when she discovers she has a father—and a very wealthy one at that. From this startling information comes a long line of questions for Geneva. Why had her shunned and now-deceased mother lied all these years? Why would an honorable gentleman throw a pregnant young bride into the streets? And if the heavenly Father that Geneva once trusted has abandoned her, why should she now trust an earthly father?

Geneva sets out for answers by accepting an invitation to Ravensmere, her father’s estate. There, she struggles to forgive her newfound father for his cruelty to her mother and her own nightmarish childhood. Along with her internal battles, Geneva finds herself caught between the landed gentry and the deep poverty of local farm laborers. She faces labor protests, riots, and violent attacks. Meanwhile, as her friendship with a kind and godly gentleman deepens, her cousin, the displaced heir, attempts to court her with charm and flattery. Now, Geneva has to contend with the heart-rending choices of who to love, who to trust, and how to forgive.

But these matters pale in comparison to the real secrets of Ravensmere lying deep in the heart of the manor, and Geneva’s discoveries that lead to far more horrifying questions. Suddenly on the run and fearing for her life, she finds herself compelled to trust once again in God whom she thought had abandoned her. And now, with dangerous secrets on her heels, Geneva Everson must go where no genteel lady would dare.

 

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Author Bio

Marilyn Perks is a long-time resident of Victoria, British Columbia. She has two much-loved sons and two beautiful grandchildren. Marilyn received a Registered Nurse Diploma from Royal Jubilee Hospital; once she retired from her career as a registered nurse, she bought a condo overlooking the Salish Sea and started writing her first novel, Ravensmere. When not preparing Sunday school lessons or playing Chopin’s nocturnes on the piano, she enjoys long walks through the charming neighborhoods and colorful gardens of Victoria. Marilyn is amazed at God’s grace in enabling her to write Ravensmere. Through all the ups and downs, the Lord Jesus Christ was her strength and support from the first word to the last.