Just a girl

"Just a Girl" by Charles Garvice is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story unfolds primarily in the rough and rowdy setting of a gold mining camp in Australia, focusing on the life of Esmeralda, a young girl who is raised by the camp's miners after being found orphaned. This tale explores themes of identity, belonging, and the challenges of transitioning from a carefree life to one defined by wealth and societal expectations. The opening of the novel introduces readers to the chaotic environment of the Eldorado Saloon, where a rowdy crowd of miners ignites a brawl fueled by the oppressive heat and the search for excitement. In the midst of this turbulence, an unexpected arrival shifts the focus: an old postman walks in carrying a bundle that reveals a sleeping child, a foundling whom the camp's rough patrons come to cherish. Esmeralda's character is introduced as she grows up in this unconventional setting, watched over by the jaded yet tender-hearted gambler Varley Howard, who inadvertently becomes her guardian. As the story progresses, Esmeralda learns about her past and her new identity as an heiress, leading to tensions between her old life in the camp and expectations for her future. The narrative is rich with colorful characters and social dynamics, setting the stage for Esmeralda's development and the inevitable challenges she will face. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Charles Garvice was a prolific British writer of over 150 romance novels, who also used the female pseudonym Caroline Hart. He was a popular author in the UK, the United States and translated around the world. He was ‘the most successful novelist in England’, according to Arnold Bennett in 1910. He published novels selling over seven million copies worldwide by 1914, and since 1913 he was selling 1.75 million books annually, a pace which he maintained at least until his death. Despite his enormous success, he was poorly received by literary critics, and is almost forgotten today.