Blanche: A Story for Girls

"Blanche: A Story for Girls" by Mrs. Molesworth is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative follows Anastasia Fenning, a young English girl, who moves to France for her health, where she ends up marrying Henry Derwent and starts a family. The initial chapters explore themes of love, loss, and the challenges of adapting to a new life and culture, especially as Anastasia becomes a widow and must navigate her new responsibilities. At the start of the story, we learn about Anastasia Fenning's transition from England to France after becoming delicate in health. As she adjusts to her new surroundings, she falls in love with Henry Derwent, and they marry despite her father's initial concerns about their separation. Following her father’s unexpected death, Anastasia grapples with her grief but ultimately finds happiness in her marriage. However, her newfound stability is shaken again when she loses Henry, leading to challenges as she raises her two daughters, Blanche and Stasy, in France. The opening chapters set the stage for their eventual return to England, hinting at themes of identity and belonging as they navigate their lives amid change. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Louisa Molesworth, née Stewart was an English writer of children's stories who wrote for children under the name of Mrs Molesworth. Her first novels, for adult readers, Lover and Husband (1869) to Cicely (1874), appeared under the pseudonym of Ennis Graham. Her name occasionally appears in print as M. L. S. Molesworth.