Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle - Charlotte Turner Smith

This book was written about 150 years ahead of its time. It tells the story of Emmeline Mobwray who grows up in a dysfunctional family and has to find herself against all odds. Orphaned at a young age, she has to stay alone in a remote castle under the care of a kind housekeeper. But when the kind housekeeper dies, the family starts to take interest in her- to mixed results. Her cousin becomes obsessed with her, much to the displeasure of his wealthy and arrogant parents. Thus, Emmeline is forced to run away from the only home she knew in order to escape his attentions. Would Emmeline be able to stand up to him at the end or, like many of her contemporaries, would she be forced into a loveless match? Can Emmeline survive in a society predominated by wealth without money or connections? And is Emmeline's family the only one with problems? Throughout the novel, Emmeline learns to create and sustain true friendships and grows up to her role as a woman of that era- with all that it entails." (summary by Stav Nisser)