4 h 37 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 4 h 37 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What power does a woman hold when she refuses to show her true face?
In Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power, Louisa May Alcott brings deception, ambition, and a woman's will into focus. First published in 1866, this Gothic tale sets its central tension in its title: a mask suggests concealment, while the alternative title names the power behind it.
The subtitle promises a daring tale and calls a woman's will an unstoppable force. That promise gives you a question to carry into the opening pages: how do deception and determination meet? Alcott places female ambition at the center, inviting you to consider the distance between wanting power and claiming it.
What you’ll discover
- The pull of deception Look beyond appearances in a tale that places concealment at its center.
- A woman's fierce will Explore determination as a force that refuses to stay quietly in the background.
- A title with tension Consider how the mask and the woman's power frame your expectations before you begin.
- A Gothic invitation Step into a work from 1866 that brings Gothic fiction and female ambition together.
- Alcott's daring premise Meet Louisa May Alcott through a tale that explicitly promises an unstoppable woman's will.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy clever heroines with hidden plans, country houses full of rivalries, and briskly paced stories of disguise will love this book. It also suits lovers of sharp dialogue.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A governess arrives and wins the room
- Alone at night she takes off her mask
- A quarrel ends in blood and a bedside
- She stays away, and he comes looking
- Stage lights and a confession behind roses
- Everyone in the house is playing a part
- A poor woman fights with wit alone
- A short tale told with speed and sharp turns
Who’s who
- Jean MuirThe new governess, who appears meek and poor, but hides a plan and a sharp mind, and wants a secure place in the world.
- Gerald CoventryThe lazy, elegant elder son and head of the house, who distrusts the governess yet cannot stop watching her.
- Edward CoventryGerald's warm, energetic younger brother, eager for a career and quick to give his heart.
- Lucia BeaufortA proud, capable cousin who runs the house and quietly loves Gerald, and who mistrusts Jean from the start.
- Bella CoventryThe affectionate sixteen-year-old daughter of the house, who adores her new governess and wants everyone to be happy.
- Sir John CoventryThe gallant uncle and master of the Hall, a kind man in his fifties who longs for company and good reading.
- Mrs. CoventryThe nervous, complaining invalid mother, who is easily charmed by anyone who tends her comfort.
- DeanLucia's grim, loyal maid, who watches the governess closely and wants to protect her young mistress.
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Tras la máscara; o, el poder de una mujer
by Louisa May Alcott · 1866
A governess faints while singing for the Coventry family, then drops her disguise alone in her room.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEspañol
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In short
What would you do if the new governess fainted at your feet, then smiled and promised that her last scene would be better than her first? That is how Behind a Mask begins.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A governess arrives and wins the room
The story opens in the drawing room of the Coventry house, where a family waits for a new governess. Mrs. Coventry is a peevish invalid with a supply of handkerchiefs. Her daughter Bella, sixteen and kind, hopes for a friend. Her niece Lucia, proud and capable, bends over her tapestry. Gerald, the idle elder son, lounges on a couch and gives the newcomer a trial of three days. His younger brother Ned says any woman deserves courtesy.
At seven exactly, Miss Jean Muir steps in. She is small, pale and thin, dressed in black with a silver cross at her throat. She casts one keen glance over the group, then lowers her eyes. She says she is Scottish, nineteen, alone in the world and just out of hospital. A grateful look toward Bella wins the girl at once.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 9 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1866
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 2 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Alcott, Louisa May. Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/behind-a-mask-or-a-womans-power.
Alcott, L. M. (2026). Behind a mask; or, a woman's power. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/behind-a-mask-or-a-womans-power (Original work published 1866)
Alcott, Louisa May. Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/behind-a-mask-or-a-womans-power.
@book{alcott2026behind,
author = {Alcott, Louisa May},
title = {Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/behind-a-mask-or-a-womans-power},
note = {First published 1866}
}
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What is Behind a Mask by Louisa May Alcott about?
It tells of Jean Muir, a governess who joins a wealthy English family and charms everyone in turn. Beneath her meek manner she follows a careful plan, and the story watches how she uses wit, music and nerve to pursue it.
Who is Jean Muir in Behind a Mask?
Jean Muir is the new governess of the Coventry household. She presents herself as a poor, gentle Scottish orphan of nineteen. She is clever, observant and a gifted performer, and the story shows how she studies each person's weak point.
Why did Louisa May Alcott write Behind a Mask under a pen name?
Alcott wrote it in the 1860s, when she also produced dramatic stories for magazines under another name. Its bold heroine and sharp tone differ from the warm family life of Little Women, which came later and made her name.
The author
Louisa May Alcott
1832–1888 · American novelist
Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) was an American novelist born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She lived mainly in Massachusetts, including Boston and Concord. She wrote Little Women, published in two parts in 1868 and 1869, An Old-Fashioned Girl in 1870, Little Men in 1871, and Work: A Story of Experience in 1873.
More by Louisa May Alcott
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