Lorna Doone

A young farmer's son wanders onto forbidden ground and meets a girl he cannot forget. So begins Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore's much-loved tale of love and danger on the wilds of Exmoor. Set in the seventeenth century, it tells of John Ridd, a sturdy and honest Devon farmer, and Lorna, a gentle girl raised among the lawless Doone clan. Their growing attachment must survive a bitter feud, a hidden valley, and the violence of a family that lives outside the law.

This is a historical romance in the grand Victorian manner: rich in landscape, character and incident, and told in the warm, unhurried voice of John himself. Readers who enjoy adventure, courtship, and a strong sense of place will find much to savor. The novel also offers a vivid picture of rural England, with its farms, markets, magistrates and highways, and of a community struggling to keep order when powerful outlaws go unchecked.

This edition contains the complete text of Lorna Doone, together with a new introduction, a character guide, a summary of the story, notes on its main themes, a glossary of old and unusual words, and questions for discussion. It is designed for readers coming to the book for the first time, for students, and for book clubs who wish to explore this classic of English fiction.