'Lena Rivers

"Lena Rivers" by Mary Jane Holmes is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around the life of a young girl named Lena Rivers, who faces the challenges of abandonment and societal judgment following the tragic death of her mother, Helena. Set against the backdrop of rural New England and later transitioning to Kentucky, the narrative explores themes of family, societal expectations, and the quest for belonging as Lena navigates her new life. At the start of the book, the brutal winter storm sets a somber tone as the townspeople of Oakland reflect on its severity. The focus shifts to the Nichols family, particularly Grandfather and Grandmother Nichols, who are preparing for a visit to their daughter Helena's house. We learn about Helena’s troubled past—having married a man who abandoned her and their child—and her tragic death after giving birth to Lena. Now, as a ten-year-old orphan, Lena is brought to live with her estranged uncle John Livingstone in Kentucky. The narrative begins to unfold as the family dynamics and societal pressures come into play, hinting at the conflicts Lena will face as she tries to forge her identity amidst her new relatives and their expectations. The opening chapters set the stage for Lena's journey and introduce the complicated characters that will shape her life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Jane Holmes was an American author who published 39 novels, as well as short stories. Her first novel sold 250,000 copies; and she had total sales of 2 million books in her lifetime, second only to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her books included: "Tempest and Sunshine" (1854), "English Orphans" (1855), "Homestead on the Hillside" (1855), "Lena Rivers" (1856), "Meadow Brook" (1857), "Dora Deane" (1858), "Cousin Maude" (1860), "Marian Gray" 186^, "Hugh Worthington" (1864), "Cameron Vide" (1867). "Rose Mather" (1868), "Ethelyn’s Mistake" (1869), "Edna Browning" (1872), "Mildred" (1877), "Forest House" (1879), "Daisy Thornton," "Queenie Hetherton" (1883), "Christmas Stories" (1884), "Bessie's Fortune" (1885). "Gretchen" (1887), "Marguerite" (1891).