The novel I most often give as a gift; a charming romance that begins in comedy and ends in dramatic incident. The only of Crawford's book-length fictions to take place wholly in England. Must reading for those who love Victoriana. ( )

This is the first truly great novel by F. Marion Crawford, and one of his most charming efforts in fiction. The opening is as funny as anything he wrote, quite droll and light-hearted; the conclusion, almost Gothic. This is the only one of his novels to be set in England entirely, and most of it in the country, "a lonely parish" indeed. There's even a touch of Trollope here, though Crawford definitely has his own voice. I recommend this book as the best introduction to this author, at least to readers who don't read fantasy. ( )