A gripping novel of romance, suspense, and the supernatural, The Orphan of the Rhine follows young Julie de Rubine as she unravels the haunting secrets of her past.
Making a fateful promise to her dying mother, Julie resigns herself to marrying a Catholic man. Yet, as she enters the fashionable world of her aunt, her new guardian, she soon discovers that her life is not her own. Refusing multiple marriage proposals, Julie fights to control her own destiny and remain faithful to her mother's wishes.
This volume is part of the Mothers of the Macabre series, celebrating the gothic horror masterpieces of pioneering women writers who played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the genre. First published in 1798, The Orphan of the Rhine is referenced in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (1817) as an exemplary macabre novel. From gloomy castle chambers to picturesque ramparts, Eleanor Sleath weaves a tale of romance and sensibility in this classic gothic horror.