St. Elmo

By Augusta Evans Wilson
Augusta Evans Wilson was a famous Victorian author of the South that is almost unheard of today. Of her books this one was her most popular. As I read St Elmo I found that it has been compared to Jane Eyre. There are great similarities, like Jane, the main character Edna Earl is an orphan. She also lives in a big, rather scary house and the hero is another gruff, melancholy, agnostic, very much older hero like Mr. Rochester. Unlike Jane both she and the hero St. Elmo Murray sound,as one person put it," like they swallowed the Latin dictionary whole." Also Edna is a author, not a governess and far less strong-minded than Jane.
Edna Earl is all but adopted at twelve by Mrs. Murray, St. Elmo's mother and comes to live at their house, when her grandfather dies. She and St. Elmo don't get along at all as neither trust each other and it is to her immense relief that he leaves on a long trip to the Middle East. But first he puts a key to a mysterious chest in her possession with orders that she should not open it. Edna is a strong Christian girl so she, of course does not open it. Then when he comes back and she is seventeen things start to happen.
Both feel attracted to each other but St. Elmo is a rather rakish person and besides he shows a lot of attention to his cousin, Estelle. To add a bit of further creepiness, he flirts outrageously with his former fiance's daughter Gertrude who just happens to be Edna's friend. Edna and he get into constant disagreements over things and he is continually testing her faith in God.
This book is intensely romantic but perfectly clean. If you like Jane Eyre than St. Elmo might appeal to you.
Reviewed by Elizabeth