Lorna Doone

　　First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer whofinds 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.

　　Author Biography: Richard Doddridge Blackmore (1825?900) wrote more than a dozen novels, five books of poetry, and translated Virgil's Georgics.

　　R. D. Madison is director of English Honors at the U.S. Naval Academy.

　　Michelle Allen teaches Victorian literature at the U.S. Naval Academy.