Maine, murder, mystery ... and turn-of-the-century romance
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Elisabeth Ogilvie is a true Maineac -- a writer who brings her beloved state of Maine vividly alive for her readers. Miss Ogilvie is perhaps best known for her "Tide Trilogy," a family-saga series set on fictional Bennett's Island, and for the "Jennie" series, about a Scottish emigre's journey to the New World and a new life. But she has written many other novels, and "Image of a Lover" (1975) happens to be my favorite. Set in 1895, it is the story of Seafair, a young teacher who spends a summer with her best friend, Miranda, at Miranda's island home off the coast of Maine. Over the course of the summer, passion and rivalry lead to murder -- but this is no ordinary Gothic romance. As perhaps the darkest of Miss Ogilvie's novels, "Image of a Lover" brilliantly succeeds in portraying a seemingly idyllic world torn apart by a single person's madness -- very much in the tradition of "Jane Eyre," though with a more contemporary sensibility. This compelling novel, long out of print, is one I would love to see Down East Books reissue in a new edition, as is happening with some of Miss Ogilvie's other classic Maine books. It is really that good.
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