"The Abbot's Ghost" by Louisa May Alcott

I mostly just bought this because of the gorgeous cover painted by Haleigh DeRocher, and the fact that it's something by Louisa May Alcott I hadn't read yet.  I expected to like it moderately well, but not to like it lots and lots.  Maybe that's why I liked it lots and lots!  Low expectations can be a blessing sometimes.

Maurice Traherne was injured saving his cousin Jaspar's life and is now confined to a wheelchair.  Another cousin, the sweet and lovely Octavia, has been Maurice's constant nurse and companion and comfort.  But Octavia's mother wants her to marry someone rich, and Maurice is penniless.  Pretty standard story so far, right?

A handful of friends come to stay with this family at their big English home, which used to be an abbey.  One of the visitors is a woman that both Maurice and Jaspar had loved once, but she's now married to a rich man much older than herself.  She starts to meddle with both young men, flirting with one and antagonizing the other, even though her husband is also a guest there.  Emotions run high, and then the servants start seeing the abbey's legendary ghost!

After the first few pages, I cared very much about Maurice and Octavia, and I flew through this book, hoping against hope that somehow, everything would turn out well for them.  I was fully prepared for a tragic or hopeless or unhappy ending... but surprise!  Everything turns out really well for them!  I won't say how, though.

I love that DeRocher is bringing out these beautiful illustrated editions!  I have her Christmas Carol and Anne of Green Gables too, and I'm hoping to get more of hers eventually.  They are such a nice size, with clear and readable type and lots of full-color illustrations inside.  But the covers are my favorite thing because they are so smooth and clean-feeling.  I just love to hold them.  You can check out this section of her shop to see all the books she's currently offering.  She's been putting out some lesser-known or obscure works by well-known classic authors too, like this, which is so cool.

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: G.  Clean and lovely.

This is my 34th book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list and my 51st for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.