Only A Girl

In a bleak North German estate, decay in the house mirrors the moral ruin within it: wasted food, neglected rooms, and a household ruled by cruelty rather than care. At its center stands Ernestine, a frail, proud child already shaped by humiliation, blamed for her mother's death, and treated as an unwanted burden by a father who lashes out at her and by relatives who see her as an inconvenience to inheritance, reputation, and social ambition. Even the servants' gossip and the family's polished manners only sharpen the novel's critique of hypocrisy, emotional coldness, and selfishness. Against this oppressive world, Ernestine's fierce defense of women's intellectual and spiritual freedom brings her into conflict with Countess Worronska, whose worldly version of emancipation is exposed as vanity and sensuality. Humiliated, the countess drives recklessly through the village and runs down a child, unleashing public outrage and near-riot. Johannes Möllner's calm compassion in the aftermath stands in stark contrast to the countess's pride, while the villagers' grief and fury give the story its powerful blend of social realism, domestic tragedy, and moral drama. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.