Valerie

Captain Marryat's final novel, Valerie, is a rare melodrama in which women carry nearly all the emotional weight. The story opens in a somber key with a dying speaker entrusting Valerie as executrix, hinting at inheritance, duty, and the shadow of a last testament. It then follows a proud, sensitive heroine forced into the world at seventeen, where dependence becomes a harsh education. Cast out after a childhood accident brings injury, blame, and brutal punishment, she flees her father's house and makes her way alone toward her grandmother at Luneville. Along the journey and beyond, Valerie must survive as a governess, companion, and music teacher, navigating polished society's condescension and cruelty. Against a distinctly eighteenth-century backdrop, the novel blends hardship with vivid characters, emotional intensity, and a spirited central figure whose resilience gradually leads toward safety and happiness. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.