Summary
Summary of Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power
Who it’s for
Readers who enjoy a lively drawing room drama, a clever heroine with something to hide, and the pleasure of watching schemes unfold scene by scene. Fans of Victorian sensation tales and of Alcott's sharper side will feel at home.
What this book is
Behind a Mask, or A Woman's Power is a short novel by Louisa May Alcott, the American writer best known for Little Women. It is a tale of suspense and stage tricks, written for readers who like a fast plot and a heroine who plays a dangerous game. It gives you a country house, a close family, and one stranger who arrives at the door at seven in the evening.
The stranger is Jean Muir, a pale young governess in a plain black dress. She says she is nineteen, Scottish, alone in the world and just out of hospital. The Coventry family welcomes her with pity. Yet in her first hour she plays, sings, faints and speaks a line that hints at a plan. In the pages ahead you will meet two brothers, a proud cousin, a gentle girl, a kindly baronet and a watchful maid. You will see how one clever woman handles each of them in turn, and what she wants from them. The first key point is the night of her arrival, when the curtain goes down and she is alone.
In this summary
- 1A stranger arrives and plays her partFree
- 2She wins the household one by one
- 3A knife, a wound and a long night
- 4A noble birth story and a night of theatricals
- 5Dean watches, Gerald declares, and a note arrives
- 6How the story is told and what it is about
Key point 1 of 6
A stranger arrives and plays her part
The story opens in the drawing room of Coventry House, where the family waits for the new governess. Mrs. Coventry is a nervous invalid. Her daughter Bella is sixteen and eager to like the newcomer. Her niece, Lucia Beaufort, is proud and calm. Her sons are very different. Gerald is lazy and sarcastic and says he will leave the house if the governess proves a bore. Edward, the younger, is warm and kind.
Jean Muir enters as a small figure in black with a silver cross at her throat. Under Mrs. Coventry's questions she says she has no relatives, that she is nineteen, and that she left a hospital only a week ago. Bella's kindness earns her a quick grateful glance. She plays the piano like a true artist and sings a sad Scottish song.
Then she slides from the stool in a faint and murmurs in her Scottish speech for her mother. Everyone rushes to help. Gerald murmurs that this is the first scene, very well done. She hears him, and her eyes seem to turn black. She answers that the last scene will be even better. For the first time in his life, Gerald feels abashed, and Lucia feels a flash of hatred.
Later, in her room, the meek girl vanishes. She mutters a vow that she will not fail again. She takes off her braids, wipes the pink from her cheeks and removes false teeth. She pours a strong cordial from a flask. In the mirror sits a worn, bitter woman of at least thirty with a healed scar on her breast. From the first chapter, you know the mask is a mask.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Jean Muir
- Jean Muir is the new governess employed to teach Bella Coventry in the wealthy Coventry household.
- Gerald Coventry
- Gerald Coventry is the eldest Coventry son, whose skeptical manner contrasts with his younger brother Edward's.
- Edward Coventry
- Edward Coventry is Gerald's younger brother and Bella's brother, a young man drawn to Jean Muir.
- Bella Coventry
- Bella Coventry is the daughter of Mrs Coventry and the pupil entrusted to Jean Muir.
- Mrs Coventry
- Mrs Coventry is the mother of Gerald, Edward, and Bella, and Jean Muir's employer.
- Sir John Coventry
- Sir John Coventry is the wealthy uncle of Gerald, Edward, and Bella, connected to their household.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 41,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 2 h 45 min
- Listening time4 h 35 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Behind a Mask; Or, a Woman's Power
What is Behind a Mask by Louisa May Alcott about?
It follows Jean Muir, a young governess who joins the Coventry family and charms each of them in turn. Beneath her meek manner she hides a plan to better her place in the world, and the book shows how she carries it out.
Who is Jean Muir in Behind a Mask?
Jean Muir is the governess at the center of the story. She claims to be nineteen, Scottish and alone in the world, but in private she drops her act and shows a harder, older woman with a purpose.
Is Behind a Mask a true story?
No, it is a work of fiction by Louisa May Alcott, a Victorian tale of suspense. It belongs to the sensation fiction popular in the nineteenth century, which loved secrets, disguises and plots inside respectable homes.
What does the title Behind a Mask mean?
The mask is the face Jean Muir wears in public. She plays a modest, sad governess, and the novel shows how much effort and skill she puts into keeping that role while others see only what she wants them to see.
Is Behind a Mask easy to read?
Yes, the story moves quickly through short, lively chapters. The dialogue is natural, the scenes are clear, and the suspense builds as Jean's plan unfolds, so readers who like a strong plot find it easy to follow.
