Lorna Doone

First published in 1869 Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure he makes his way to the valley of the Doones where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love-a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter rekindling a conflict with his archrival Carver Doone that climaxes in heartrending violence. Beloved for its portrait of star-crossed lovers and its surpassing descriptions of the English countryside Lorna Doone is R. D. Blackmore's enduring masterpiece.