Story summary
Her Mother's Secret summary
- 8 min read
- 10 parts
- Audio soon
A mother tells sixteen-year-old Odalite a secret that sends her toward a wedding she dreads.
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Her Mother's Secret at a glance
Summary: 8 min to read
- Reading time
- About 6 h 5 min4 h 50 min fast, 7 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 86,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
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Her Mother's Secret in short
At its simplest, Her Mother's Secret asks what a family will give up to keep a name clean. A guest arrives at a Maryland estate with a hold over the mistress of the house. A loving mother and a brave daughter are forced toward a marriage that a trusting father welcomes.
What Her Mother's Secret is about
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.
Who it’s for. 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.
The story in 10 parts
Key idea 1 · free to read
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.
- 2Start free to read
An old acquaintance appears with a threat
In mid-July Abel takes his family north on a tour.
- 3Start free to read
The guest takes over and spots an heiress
Colonel Anglesea reaches Mondreer on the first of October and settles in as though he owns it.
- 4Start free to read
Blackmail forces a mother to choose
Elfrida avoids the colonel, so he sets a trap.
- 5Start free to read
A daughter says yes to save her family
Elfrida urges Odalite to accept the colonel.
- 6Start free to read
Le comes home to a broken promise
Wynnette and Elva are outraged that Le is to be thrown over.
- 7Start free to read
The wedding day ends before the bride is lost
Wynnette tells Le that Odalite hates the colonel.
- 8Start free to read
Sacrifice and secrecy shape every choice
The heart of the book is a woman living under the weight of one old mistake.
- 9Start free to read
True honor means mastering anger
Le's sense of honor is tested after the telegram confirms the marriage certificate.
- 10Start free to read
A warm voice, lively talkers, and a setting of its time
Southworth tells her story in an openly emotional voice.
Read all 10 key ideas now
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Check yourself
Why does Anglesea demand that Odalite marry him?
Right. “He tells her the price of his silence.”Not quite. “He tells her the price of his silence.”
Why does Odalite let Le believe she has freely chosen Anglesea?
Right. “Odalite lets the man she loves think her false rather than risk her mother's secret.”Not quite. “Odalite lets the man she loves think her false rather than risk her mother's secret.”
What does the book present as real honor?
Right. “Real honor, the book says, means mastering anger instead of serving it.”Not quite. “Real honor, the book says, means mastering anger instead of serving it.”
Characters, plot and themes
Main characters
- Odalite Force The sixteen-year-old heiress of Mondreer, who has loved her cousin Leonidas all her life and would do anything to protect her family.
- Elfrida Force Odalite's proud, beautiful mother, once Lady Elfrida Glennon, who carries a secret from her youth and fears for her husband's good name.
- Abel Force The trusting, generous master of Mondreer and a justice of the peace, who believes the best of everyone and wants his daughter happy.
- Leonidas Force A young naval midshipman and Abel's ward, who comes home from sea expecting to marry Odalite and settle at Greenbushes.
- Colonel Angus Anglesea A smiling English officer and gambler who arrives as a guest and wants Odalite and her inheritance for himself.
- Wynnette Force Odalite's saucy fourteen-year-old sister, who watches everything, hates the colonel, and says exactly what she thinks.
- Elva Force The gentle youngest sister, aged twelve, who loves Le dearly and hopes someone will rescue Odalite.
- Mrs. Anglesea A loud, good-hearted widow from a California mining camp who comes east to find the man who deceived her.
How it ends (spoiler)
Leonidas leaves by train to join his ship for a three-year voyage. Before he goes, Odalite and he agree to write as brother and sister, with letters sent through Elfrida, because Anglesea may still hold a lawful claim on her. Odalite promises to air Greenbushes weekly while he is gone. Miss Meeke marries Dr. Ingle at Mondreer on January twentieth, and Roland Bayard wins the hidden ring in the bride's cake and slips it on little Rosemary Hedge's finger.
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Questions about Her Mother's Secret
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}
}
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