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Mona
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.
We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.
We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
- GenresRomance
200 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
81 books11 followersSarah Elizabeth Forbush Downs (1843–1926) was a "dime novelist" from the United States.
In 1868, she married George Sheldon Downs. She used a form of his name as a pseudonym in much of her writing.
Her career began with newspaper contributions in 1869. She was signed by Theodore Dreiser to write for his Smith's Magazine. Dreiser considered her to be one of the "three most popular authors in the world." Between 1880 and 1889, she serialized 47 romances for Street and Smith's New York Weekly.
In 1868, she married George Sheldon Downs. She used a form of his name as a pseudonym in much of her writing.
Her career began with newspaper contributions in 1869. She was signed by Theodore Dreiser to write for his Smith's Magazine. Dreiser considered her to be one of the "three most popular authors in the world." Between 1880 and 1889, she serialized 47 romances for Street and Smith's New York Weekly.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 30, 2022
An enjoyable Victorian melodrama that is thankfully light on the moralizing that can come with the era. This volume only tells the beginning of the story, ending with reassurance regarding the romance but with no resolution for any of the mysteries. I’m going to wait to give a rating until I’ve read the sequel.
***
After reading the sequel, my rating is for both books read together. The beginning of the story was slow to capture my attention, but I’m very glad I pushed on!
***
After reading the sequel, my rating is for both books read together. The beginning of the story was slow to capture my attention, but I’m very glad I pushed on!
July 15, 2013
Mona is left penniless after her uncle dies without a properly executed will. She hires herself out as a seamstress, to a woman she soon realizes was her late father's second wife. She must keep her identity a secret because she believes the woman to be antagonistic to her. Furthermore, she is puzzled and saddened because her suitor, a wealthy and very nice young man who had asked permission to call on her back when everything was going well, hasn't even tried to get in touch with her since her uncle died. What she doesn't know is that he's had a run-in with a criminally clever plot that has left him imprisoned and unknown for the time being. When he gets out he desperately tries to find Mona but she has flown. Meanwhile, Mona is trying to figure out her own mysteries, like what her uncle was trying to tell her before he died about a strange box he just gave her as a gift, and what the real story is about her parents' ill-fated marriage. Ends on a cliffhanger, fortunately there is a sequel. Enjoyable thriller. I like how in- control both Mona and her suitor are, they don't stupidly give anything away to the people they shouldn't.
November 7, 2025
This book is CRAZY!!! Everyone should read it. Insane plot twists, crazy villains, the most shocking reveal that will make you cry your eyes out. 10/10 highly recommend!
August 21, 2014
‘Mona’ and ‘True Love’s Reward’ are presented to the world as two separate books – the latter being the sequel to the former – but, because they tell one story, divided into two part of equal length at a place that really doesn’t feel like an ending before a new beginning, I am going to treat them as one.
Both books were published in 1891, and they were the work of a very, very popular author. They aren’t great works, but they are very engaging and very readable. They do what they do very well.
There’s mystery, there’s intrigue, there’s romance ….
Mona was raised by her uncle, but he fell in and died before he could sign a will and before he could finish telling Mona the story of he mother – who had died – her father – who had left – and the secret that he was holding until she grew up.
She was heartbroken, but when her uncle’s estranged wife had her turned out without a penny she drew herself up, with pride and with spirit, and set out to use her skill with her needle to support herself.
A position as a seamstress fell into her lap, but Mona realised that it might not be the blessing that it seemed to be. Because she believed that her employer was her father’s second wife. She knew that the lady would wish her ill – would quite probably do her harm – if she discovered who she was, but she also realised that her new job might offer her an opportunity – maybe the only opportunity – to uncover the secret that her uncle had been holding.
Mona was disappointed that her young man, the son of a wealthy jeweller, hasn’t been in touch with her since her uncle died. She didn’t know that he and his father had been stung by some clever and audacious thieves, and that he really had no way of getting in touch with anybody. And once things were sorted out she was living a different life in a different place under a different name, so it wouldn’t be at all easy for him to find her.
Would Mona uncover the truth about her family …. ?
What would the diamond thieves do next …. ?
Would her employer find out the truth about Mona …. ?
Would the young lovers be reunited …. ?
The story is very well plotted, with lots of twists and turns. At times it was predictable, and I caught echoes of other stories, but it was always engaging and there were more than enough tines when I was puzzled and intrigued.
At first I thought that Mona might be a little too nice, a little too good to be interesting, but she grew into a very fine heroine. She continued to be good, but she was ready to stand up for herself, she learned to be practical and capable, and she coped well with some very tricky situations.
Her young man became a wonderful foil.
And the jewel thieves continued to prey on high society – they provided great entertainment, and a lovely contrast to Mona’s story.
Everything worked out as it should in the end. This is that sort of story. It’s very black and white.
There were some small flaws in the logic, but as a whole the story worked.
It was wonderfully diverting at a time when I wanted something not too demanding to read.
Both books were published in 1891, and they were the work of a very, very popular author. They aren’t great works, but they are very engaging and very readable. They do what they do very well.
There’s mystery, there’s intrigue, there’s romance ….
Mona was raised by her uncle, but he fell in and died before he could sign a will and before he could finish telling Mona the story of he mother – who had died – her father – who had left – and the secret that he was holding until she grew up.
She was heartbroken, but when her uncle’s estranged wife had her turned out without a penny she drew herself up, with pride and with spirit, and set out to use her skill with her needle to support herself.
A position as a seamstress fell into her lap, but Mona realised that it might not be the blessing that it seemed to be. Because she believed that her employer was her father’s second wife. She knew that the lady would wish her ill – would quite probably do her harm – if she discovered who she was, but she also realised that her new job might offer her an opportunity – maybe the only opportunity – to uncover the secret that her uncle had been holding.
Mona was disappointed that her young man, the son of a wealthy jeweller, hasn’t been in touch with her since her uncle died. She didn’t know that he and his father had been stung by some clever and audacious thieves, and that he really had no way of getting in touch with anybody. And once things were sorted out she was living a different life in a different place under a different name, so it wouldn’t be at all easy for him to find her.
Would Mona uncover the truth about her family …. ?
What would the diamond thieves do next …. ?
Would her employer find out the truth about Mona …. ?
Would the young lovers be reunited …. ?
The story is very well plotted, with lots of twists and turns. At times it was predictable, and I caught echoes of other stories, but it was always engaging and there were more than enough tines when I was puzzled and intrigued.
At first I thought that Mona might be a little too nice, a little too good to be interesting, but she grew into a very fine heroine. She continued to be good, but she was ready to stand up for herself, she learned to be practical and capable, and she coped well with some very tricky situations.
Her young man became a wonderful foil.
And the jewel thieves continued to prey on high society – they provided great entertainment, and a lovely contrast to Mona’s story.
Everything worked out as it should in the end. This is that sort of story. It’s very black and white.
There were some small flaws in the logic, but as a whole the story worked.
It was wonderfully diverting at a time when I wanted something not too demanding to read.
July 20, 2013
Honestly, I selected this book because it had my name on it! :)) it was a little boring at the start but I guess after the uncle died, it got interesting to me... at least it was better than the other bunch of books that I got free from amazon kindle store! I even was tempted to buy the second book, to know what will happen at the end, but so far I'm very engaged reading another books... anyway, it was a nice book to read...
May 4, 2013
Annoying story, about scoundrels who win and hurt others.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews