Harry Joscelyn

In Mrs. Oliphant's second volume of Harry Joscelyn, a shy English outsider is thrust into a foreign world where language, manners, and feeling all seem uncertain at once. Harry arrives alone in Leghorn bewildered by his helplessness, his pride, and the loneliness of being unable even to ask for directions, but the town soon introduces him to the sharp-witted Rita Bonamy, her amused Vice-Consul father, and the half-English Paolo Thompson, whose friendliness is not always trusted. What begins as a story of awkward arrival and social observation deepens into a more intimate drama of attraction, secrecy, and responsibility. Harry struggles to conceal his growing feelings for Rita, while Paolo mistakes his reserve for hidden courtship. Then a sudden household crisis transforms the novel's emotional center: the Vice-Consul falls ill, Harry steps into practical service, and Rita's gratitude reveals how far their relationship has already shifted. Rich in irony, moral tension, and family feeling, the novel blends comedy, discomfort, and tenderness into a character-driven Victorian tale. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.