The Girl of the Mountains by Eliza Parsons


The Girl of the Mountains
Title : The Girl of the Mountains
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Unknown Binding
Number of Pages : 1134
Publication : Published January 1, 1797

Adelaide and her once-noble father live a peaceful life of retirement in the mountains of France during the reign of Francis I. One day while wandering from home, her father accidentally encounters three bandits, but is saved at the last moment by the repentance of one of the bandits, a younger man named Lewis whose good manners and mode of speaking reveal a mysterious past. However, this meeting has disastrous consequences, and Adelaide is soon thrust into an adventure that takes her out of France and into Spain, where she meets a variety of characters: domineering Baronesses, gallant Governors, and dangerously flirtatious young Dons. Without anyone to trust but herself, Adelaide must keep safe until her true personal history can be revealed—a history full of the intrigue rampant in the lascivious court of 16th century France.

The Girl of the Mountains Reviews

  • Maia

    Loved it. The name Adelaide seems to bode especially well for an excellent heroine, and this Adelaide is no exception. Despite being kidnapped three times, she manages to dramatically evade her captors no matter what. My personal favorites are her first escape, in which she stabs someone, and her last, in which Parsons' compares her to a goat leaping over the mountainside. She is very confident, competent, and more than willing to handle things on her own. Adelaide also gives fantastic speeches to would-be suitors, particularly the libertine of the novel, Don Felix. is met with well-deserved derision that I greatly enjoyed.


    Another fun choice is that this novel takes place in Spain, a bit of a departure. Parsons gets away with some fine stereotyping by justifying it all with "the Spanish were [somewhat insulting thing here], as they used to be back in the past that this novel totally takes place in guys." It's also a highly political novel, with many comments on the French court's licentiousness (during the reign of Francis I, so about 1515-1547). However, one of the most interesting political asides that I think rather defines the purpose of this novel happens when Parsons goes off on libertinism and the general moral decay of the nobility. She blames "all that licentiousness and spirit of equality that causes general disturbance" on such decay, as when the nobility do not fulfill their roles as moral exalts, the peasants (rightly) see no difference between themselves and their masters.


    This more-than-usual fixation on the morality of the nobility reveals itself in the three men interested in Adelaide: Lewis, a reformed bandit who has sincerely repented of his ways, Don Felix, an avowed libertine whose repentance is shallow and pathetic, and Governor Lopez, whose kindness, gentle gallantry, and generosity remain unflagging throughout the novel. In a serious twist,


    I highly recommend this book. It reads quickly, as do all of Parsons' novels, and I begin to see real and intelligent discussions on her society in these seemingly-trashy gothic romances that perhaps are still relevant today. The more I read these, the more ideas seem to push through them, asking me to take seriously an author who I am ashamed to find has received little scholarly critique. We can do better, and we can start by reading some truly excellent works like this one.