The romance of the forest

The La Motta family are on the run. Forced to flee Paris after a scandal, they need a place to hide. They settle for an abandoned abbey, where they're joined by another person with dark secrets-the mysterious Adeline. But the abbey is far from a safe haven. Its halls seem to echo with ghostly voices, and a lecherous villain has set his sights on Adeline. "The Romance of the Forest" was Ann Radcliffe's third published novel, and her first literary success. Mixing threats real and supernatural, it builds a thrilling mystery while also exploring the power imbalances of 17th century society. A must for fans of Gothic literature. Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) was a British writer who helped popularise Gothic fiction. Born in London, her writing career took off after her marriage to the journalist William Radcliffe. His work meant he wasn't often at home, so Ann began writing in his absence. Unlike other Gothic writers, she favoured psychological horror over the supernatural, and female protagonists over male ones. Her best known novels include "The Mysteries of Udolpho", "The Italian" and "A Sicilian Romance". Radcliffe's fans include Dostoyevksy and Edgar Allan Poe, and her style was even parodied by Jane Austen in her classic book "Northanger Abbey".