Mrs. Georgie Sheldon (1843–1926)

Things I learn from Georgie Sheldon novels:

If your relatives are mean to you, there is no way you are related by blood. In modern terms, go get a DNA test. This is important, because then when someone leaves you a fortune, you don't have to share.

When someone who doesn't like you tells you the love of your life is dead, ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK. This could save hundreds of pages.

When you are waiting for rescue, keep in mind that any number of things may delay it. Your rescuer may have gone out of show more town too late to receive your letter. When he returns, his carriage may be overturned, leaving him with three broken ribs and a broken leg. When he finally sends someone to your rescue, at the house whose only identifying feature is three flowerpots, two of them may have gotten smashed the day before. Really, there are a lot of things that could happen, so be patient.


This book is the long-sought sequel to His Heart's Queen. I am thrilled to finish the story; unfortunately it stalls a bit because of the endless machinations of the baddies. But it's still all good fun. show less

The Double Deception, indeed. How did I not guess? I'm dying to spoil it because it's Sooooo ridiculous!!!!! (But I guess I won't.)
A woman gives birth to a daughter one cold night in Boston and immediately puts her up for adoption. Years later, this girl is the privileged only child of a wealthy and affectionate couple who never want her to know that she doesn't biologically belong to them. Meanwhile, the girl rescues a street urchin one day from a group of bullies and takes him home. He, show more poor thing, is "an imbecile," meaning he can only speak gibberish, and seems addled in the head. The Huntress family takes an interest in him and adopts him, even agreeing to a risky operation that succeeds in restoring his mental and speech faculties.
So, guess what? Mrs. Georgie Sheldon has given us TWO YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MYSTERIOUS PARENTAGE. This is clearly her specialty.
The denouement is fascinatingly... insane. Someone will get brain fever. There will be dramatic reconciliations. There will be LOTS of FAINTING by LOTS of PEOPLE. There will be shocking revelations, a maniacal villainous doppelganger, and an attempt at a marriage that will (unwittingly) break all known laws of God and man.
But don't worry. Everything ends great and they go to Europe for a vacation. show less

I can come up with no more modern word than "potboiler" to describe this story.
It's a fluffy suspense story, with some parts exciting, some bits utterly absurd, and overall a fun romp.
There's an innocent but constantly wronged heroine, a terrible secret about her parentage, a couple of real (or fake? or real?) weddings, a noble suitor who stays in the background until needed, a dastardly villain who desires the heroine for his wife, a jealous, manipulating virago, a so-called water-tight show more conspiracy (which, frankly, is NOT), and a helpful housekeeper who's not really a housekeeper.

I wasn't sure that I'd really be able to get through it when I saw that one of the chapter titles was a quote, namely, "I hate you with all the strength of my Italian blood!", which seemed, you know, just a tad melodramatic, but most of it was not quite that bad, and it ended up being a pretty adventurous and gripping read. Recommended if one wants a fast-paced (but slightly groan-inducing in spots) suspense, with a hero and heroine that are, in spite of it all, quite likable. show less

Stella is on her way across the Atlantic. Recently bereaved of both her parents in England, she's been promised a home with some cousins in America. On the voyage, she befriends an old man and even saves his life at the risk of her own when the ship explodes and the passengers spend five days in a lifeboat. When they are finally rescued, Stella assures herself that her friend is safe, and then promptly allows herself the luxury of fainting.
Into the arms of England's most eligible show more bachelor.
Yeah. (Only she doesn't know it yet.) Funny how these things work in a Georgie Sheldon novel.
Then she gets to America and finds that her cousins intend to make her a servant in the household instead of allowing her to finish her education. She rebels and enlists the sympathy of the father, who ensures that she can finish school, although the jealousy of his wife and daughter make it impossible for her to live as one of the family.
Surprisingly for a Georgie Sheldon novel, the deep dark family secret isn't all that paramount. The book is more of a straightforward tale of reversals in fortune, romantic miscommunication, and the good girl always coming out on top.
Near the end the heroine remarks that she has only fainted once in her life, prompting me to want to pat her on the head and say with resignation, "No, honey. More than once." show less