The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins
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"The New Magdalen" by Wilkie Collins is a novel written in the late 19th century, during a period marked by dramatic social changes and evolving gender roles. The narrative centers around complex themes of identity, redemption, and social stigma, focusing particularly on the lives of two women, Mercy Merrick and Grace Roseberry, as they navigate their precarious situations against the backdrop of war-torn Europe. At the start of the novel, we are
introduced to a dark and stormy night in France, during the Franco-Prussian War. Captain Arnault and his men are tending to the wounded in a cottage after a skirmish when I encounter the two women: Mercy, a nurse with a troubled past, and Grace, a young lady seeking refuge after being robbed. The dynamics between these characters quickly unfold, as Grace expresses gratitude towards Mercy for her kindness, while Mercy's backstory hints at undisclosed pain and stigma that complicate their connection. The opening chapter sets a tense atmosphere, suggesting themes of class struggle and identity, culminating in Mercy's difficult choice to assume Grace’s identity after a tragic turn of events. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Collins, Wilkie, 1824-1889 |
|---|---|
| Title | The New Magdalen |
| Credits | Produced by James Rusk, and David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | England -- Fiction |
| Subject | Impostors and imposture -- Fiction |
| Subject | Women ex-convicts -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 1623 |
| Release Date | Feb 1, 1999 |
| Last Update | Oct 21, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 708 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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