The Hidden Hand: Or, Capitola the Madcap by E. D. E. N. Southworth

My first dive into "real" literature and now I'm hooked thanks to this book. Starts a little slowly, but hang on. Once the excitement starts, you can't put it down. Uses lots of coincidences for plot resolution as was common for the time period, but this does not detract from the excellent quality. Much fun to read and well worth your time.

This novel, originally written in 1859, begins with Colonel Warfield, "Old Hurricane," being called from his cozy bed into a raging storm to hear the deathbed confession of an old, black slave. It seems that the evil Gabriel Le Noir had killed his brother and taken his pregnant sister-in-law into hiding. This old slave attended the birth of the twins--one stillborn boy, one living girl--and hid the girl and raised her by herself. This girl, Capitola, was now living in New York City and was 13 years old. Old Hurricane fetches the girl and has her live with him as his ward. Meanwhile, the story of Marah Rocke and her 18 year old son Traverse begins. She's a wholesome, suffering single mother. Traverse is noble and hard-working. They are befriended by Doctor Day and his lovely daughter Clara. Traverse and Clara fall in love, but first, Traverse must establish himself as a doctor and so on. Evil tidings befall, and their love is thwarted. Will it ever work out? Meanwhile, back at Hurricane Hall, Capitola grows up and is quite a pistol. She's spunky, disobedient, and thoroughly enjoyable to read about. She captures a notorious criminal and escapes from a few of them as well. But, how do these stories tie together? Who is Col. Warfield's nephew? His estranged wife? How do the evil Le Noirs fit into this story? Will Traverse be shot in the army? Will Clara be force to marry Craven Le Noir? All these tantalizing questions are answered in a clean, entertaining story which leaves you with a happy ending. If you enjoy adventure with a somewhat predictable outcome, morals entwined in your stories, and don't mind young men who would die for their mothers, then I recommend this book to you. It's not overtly heavy on the morality and sentimentality as some old reprints are. If you're a cynical old jade who doesn't want to spend 400+ pages reading about these folk, then go watch some TV.

I checked this book out of my local library and after reading it just had to have a copy of my own. It's a fantastic example of a 19th century "Popular", what we today call a Gothic-Romance. This is what all the ladies were reading and even though it follows the formula used by writers of the period, it's still an outstanding page-turner. Descriptions, characters and plot are all well developed and it moves along quickly and easily. I'm thrilled to see it available here for others to enjoy! 19th Century Literature really can rock if you let it!

Southworth's novel maniupulates many of the tropes of sentimental fiction in a uniquely subversive way. She stuffs it all within her pages- the damsel in distress, the dastardly villian, the orphan- but ultimately achieves a surprisingly feminist ideology. Her heroine, Capitola, is self reliant, creative, and genuinely heroic. She romps through Southworth's pages comically overturning many of the 19th century's most concretized stereotypes about femininity. All told, it is a marvelous read, deceptively subtle, surprisingly subversive, impossible to set aside once begun due to its breathless narrative rate. Well worth the investment.

I just loved this book. I started out reading it for a class, but the class was cancelled. I finished it anyway, and I think everyone should read this book. Capitola is sassy and brave and daring and smart.Everything a heroine should be!!