This is one of the gems of the Victorian erotica genre. This Blue Moon edition follows the one earlier issued by Grove Press, in 1982, anonymously, as 'Venus in the Country. It concerns the exploits of an orphaned young lady, Pamela, who is taken in by the Rumples, the husband initiating her into erotic pleasures until his wife's jealousy forces her out to begin a career as companion to the family of Sir Richard and Lady Belinda Bromley an aristocratic family. This entails use of the birch on their adolescent children. She becomes involved as an assistant to the local vicar and his sister, who (when they are not otherwise engaged) take it upon themselves to provide erotic enlightenment for young brides, and other local families are speedily involved. The book is entertainingly written, with many steamy scenes, and it ranks amongst the best of its genre. ( )