The Long Shadow

by Anna Gilbert

Hannah Medlar tries to solve terrifying problems as she struggles to find love and happiness

Genres: Historical, Gothic

301 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1983

About the author

Marguerite Jackson Lazarus
aka Marguerite J. Gascoigne, Anna Gilbert

Marguerite Jackson was born on 1 May 1916 in Durham, England, UK, daughter of Hannah, and John Jackson, an inspector of schools. On 1937, she obtained a BA with honours and on 1957 a MA at Durham University. She worked as Grammar school English teacher from 1938 to 1973. On 5 April 1956, she married Jacob "Jack" Lazarus.

She published Children's fiction as Marguerite J. Gascoigne, and later gothic romance novels as Anna Gilbert. Marguerite died at 88, on 24 September 2004 in North Yorkshire, England.

Reviews

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - English Ebook

Hannah Medlar was brought up by her strictly pious brother Joseph and his wife Zilla whom she idolised.

One April day in 1852, having taken a wrong turning in their pony trap, she and her sister-in-law arrived by chance at a village wedding where Zilla recognised the bride as an old friend.

Hannah was to remember this childhood incident as the first in a sequence of events which ultimately destroyed the quiet happiness of her home.

These included the terrifying visits of the rag woman; the inexplicable arrival of Jessie Willow, a strange, unattractive girl whom Hannah pitied and resented; and the tragic fate of Zilla.

Hannah’s own dreams of happiness centred on her friendship with Caroline Rudyard and her brother Adrian.

Their home, Withy Grange, secluded in its deep meadows, symbolised for her a more gracious way of life which she hoped to share as Adrian’s wife; until a ruthless hand unexpectedly intervened …

As her hopes are dashed, she forges a new life for herself, until finall, through luck and old connections turned new, the missing pieces of this intriguing puzzle fall into place.

This is an accurate portrayal of people’s lives and attitudes in Victorian England.

This gripping account in this book is engaging and mesmerising to the end.

Read with pleasure.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is told by Hannah. It takes place in England in the early to mid 1880's. Hannah lives with her brother Joseph and his wife Zilla. She has a dream life until a new person comes into the family. Then it starts as a mystery. Very interesting twists and turns. I enjoyed the book. It was written with England phrases and words. I spent time searching words so it would make sense. All in all, worth reading.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from Hannah's POV it's a family saga or memoir of a sort. I found the beginning somewhat difficult to follow, the ages of the characters were not clear. But the telling with a hint of mystery had me interested to learn what Hannah would next reveal of the goings on in her life. Glad I did not quit reading before the end.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A truly weird novel. Hannah is 20 years younger than her older brother and she lives with him and his wife. He is a staunch Calvinist and although he is a loving brother he has very strict views on life. His wife is a sweet loving carefree type individual with a dreadful secret. One day Hannah and Zilla (the wife) go for a carriage ride and happen upon a wedding. Zilla recognizes the bride as a childhood friend and as a goodwill gesture gives her her expensive cloak. It is a cold nasty day and by the time she returns home she is very ill. She recovers but the old friend returns later in the book as a rag woman who sells used clothing. After frequent visits Hannah discovers that this woman is blackmailing Zilla. Zilla lives in constant fear that this woman will reveal her secret to her husband. The novel meanders along for a while and we eventually discover what is thought to be the secret but is in reality is not.This supposed truth is "discovered" at Zilla's funeral when it is revealed by another individual who used this lie (made up on the spur of the moment) to her own advantage. The poor brother is really a miserable soul who ends up being taken advantage of. In due course he dies and Hannah is left alone for a time before being reunited with her true love and all ends happily ever after. It was really an odd story.

[Suzie Groers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story told through the eyes of Hannah in the early to mid 1800's. Hannah is a child at the beginning of the story who idolises her sister-in-law, Zilla, but through a chance meeting Hannah discovers that Zilla has a secret that she is desperate to keep hidden from her husband, Joseph. Unfortunately, this in turn leads to Zilla being blackmailed by an old friend who is down on her luck and jealous of Zilla's current good fortune. Much of the book is set trying to hide a secret, the morals of the secret, and the consequences once the secret is revealed and how circumstances can spiral from those events.
Great for anyone with an interest in stories set in the early Victorian period, a lot of good details of the time, and plenty of strict religious morals which set the basis for the book.
All in all, different in an interesting way.
Thanks to Endeavour Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true gothic novel of which there are few and far between today. Hannah is brought up by her very religious strict brother Joesph and his wife Zilla . She has a happy calm life until one day Zilla gives her cape away to a friend . Then the strangeness begins . A visit from a mysterious rag woman and arrival of a strange young girl turns life as Hannah knows it completely around . Gripping plot .

[Railee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly-written, dull, exactly the opposite of "Suspenseful". A poor attempt at disguising a depressing Victorian sermon about the evils of being human, as a novel. The title of the book was completely deceptive.

[Lisa Greer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Gothic Romance and not very interesting. I made it 50 pages. I read 'The Wedding Guest' by Gilbert, and it was very good, so not sure what happened with this one...