Public-domain ebook
Rita
by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards
Language: en3,967 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #24827.
About this book
Rita is an adventure‑filled narrative set against the backdrop of the 1898 Spanish‑American War, a period when Havana trembled with the news of the sinking of the Maine and the clash of loyalties between Spanish, Cuban and American identities. The story opens with a series of impassioned letters: a grieving widow, María Concepción de Náruaga Montfort, pleads with her brother‑in‑law to keep her rebellious step‑daughter Margarita from being forced into a strict convent, while Margarita herself writes frantically to a distant uncle, vowing never to submit to the “White Sisters” and hinting at knives and poison. The correspondence continues through a cascade of pleas, descriptions of gardens, birds, and domestic tensions, all filtered through the turmoil of war and family strife. The opening establishes a tangled web of duty, rebellion, and personal danger that promises a dramatic, emotionally charged plot.
The prose reflects the ornate, epistolary style of late‑Victorian adventure fiction, with elaborate diction, frequent asides, and vivid, sometimes melodramatic, descriptions of Havana’s heat, gardens, and the characters’ inner turmoil. Its language is richly layered with Spanish terms and period‑specific references, giving readers a sense of authenticity and cultural clash. Those who enjoy historical settings, intense family drama, and the heightened emotions of turn‑of‑the‑century letters will find this work compelling, especially readers attracted to stories where personal conflict mirrors the larger upheavals of war.
Characters in Rita
- María Concepción de Náruaga MontfortElegant late‑Victorian Spanish widow, dark hair under a lace mantilla, mourning veil, high‑collared dress, solemn expression
- MargaritaYoung rebellious Cuban‑Spanish girl, shoulder‑length dark curls, fierce eyes, simple white blouse, loose skirt, defiant posture
- Don Richard MontfortHandsome middle‑aged gentleman, wavy dark hair, trimmed moustache, military coat with epaulettes, dignified bearing
The opening · free to read
In the Town of Saint Jo
If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War. They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.
L. E. R.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE I. THREATENING WEATHER 11 II. THE STORM BURSTS 23 III. ON THE WAY 33 IV. THE CAMP AMONG THE HILLS 54 V. TO MARGARET 77 VI. IN THE NIGHT 93 VII. CAMP SCENE 110 VIII. THE PACIFICOS 130 IX. IN HIDING 142 X. MANUELA'S OPPORTUNITY 163 XI. CAPTAIN JACK 176 XII. FOR LIFE 190 XIII. MEETINGS AND GREETINGS 200 XIV. ANOTHER CAMP 216 XV. A FOREGONE CONCLUSION 233
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
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