Résumé
Résumé de Le Secret de sa mère
Go deeper: the whole of Le Secret de sa mère
About 6 h 20 min to read.À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
Readers who enjoy family secrets, smiling villains, separated young lovers, and warm comedy on an old Maryland estate will love this novel. It suits fans of big emotions and lively talk.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
Odalite Force lies at her mother's feet, crying that this will break her heart. Her mother answers that hearts never break and that honor must be preserved. Odalite is sixteen, and her cousin Leonidas is sailing home for an expected New Year's wedding. Why would a loving mother ask her to give him up?
Her Mother's Secret is a novel by Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth, an American writer whose serials were read in great numbers. It is set on Mondreer, a Maryland estate on the Chesapeake, before the Civil War.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A mother asks her daughter to give up loveFree
- 2An old acquaintance appears with a threat
- 3The guest takes over and spots an heiress
- 4Blackmail forces a mother to choose
- 5A daughter says yes to save her family
- 6Le comes home to a broken promise
- 7The wedding day ends before the bride is lost
- 8Sacrifice and secrecy shape every choice
- 9True honor means mastering anger
- 10A warm voice, lively talkers, and a setting of its time
Point clé 1 sur 10
A mother asks her daughter to give up love
The book opens with Odalite on the carpet at her mother's feet. Elfrida Force tells her that Leonidas has no claim on her, since they were never formally engaged. Then Elfrida names another man, Colonel Angus Anglesea, and Odalite springs up and says she hates and fears him.
The next chapters explain Mondreer. Mondreer usually passes to the eldest son, but Abel Force has only daughters, so he raises his orphaned ward Leonidas in his own house. The boy and Odalite grow into each other's lives, and a great-aunt leaves him the neighboring plantation of Greenbushes. The match looks perfect to everyone.
Yet Elfrida is a puzzle. Neighbors whisper of her deep spells of gloom, and she will not leave Mondreer even for a holiday. She says she will tell a tragic story from her youth, and the two women walk toward the bedroom.
The story begins with a promise the family thought was safe and a mother who feels she must undo it.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Le Secret de sa mère
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Questions about Le Secret de sa mère
What is Her Mother's Secret about?
It follows Odalite Force, a Maryland heiress, whose mother Elfrida is pressed by an old acquaintance to give her daughter in marriage. Odalite gives up her cousin Leonidas to protect her family, and a surprise at the wedding changes everything.
Who is Colonel Angus Anglesea?
He is an English officer in the East India Company's service who meets Elfrida Force at Niagara Falls and joins the family at Mondreer. He charms the neighbors, borrows money, and holds a threat over Elfrida.
Where and when is Her Mother's Secret set?
It takes place on Mondreer, a large estate on Maryland's western shore beside the Chesapeake Bay, in the years before the Civil War. The Forces have lived there since the colony was founded in 1634.
Is Her Mother's Secret easy to follow?
Yes, in the sense that matters. The chapters are short, the plot moves from scene to scene, and the characters speak in vivid, memorable ways. Comic figures such as Wynnette and Mrs. Anglesea keep the story lively.
What is the main message of the book?
The novel shows that a secret kept out of fear can hurt the people it is meant to shield. It also argues that true honor lies in mastering anger and obeying conscience, not in revenge or pride.
Cite this edition
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte. Her Mother's Secret. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/her-mothers-secret.
Southworth, E. D. E. N. (2026). Her mother's secret. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/her-mothers-secret
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte. Her Mother's Secret. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/her-mothers-secret.
@book{southworth2026her,
author = {Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte},
title = {Her Mother's Secret},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/her-mothers-secret}
}
