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Lady Jane
164 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2025
About the author
Mrs. Oliphant
1,341 books181 followersMargaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (née Margaret Oliphant Wilson) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. Her fictional works encompass "domestic realism, the historical novel and tales of the supernatural".
Margaret Oliphant was born at Wallyford, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, and spent her childhood at Lasswade (near Dalkeith), Glasgow and Liverpool. As a girl, she constantly experimented with writing. In 1849 she had her first novel published: Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland which dealt with the Scottish Free Church movement. It was followed by Caleb Field in 1851, the year in which she met the publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to contribute to the famous Blackwood's Magazine. The connection was to last for her whole lifetime, during which she contributed well over 100 articles, including, a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.
Margaret Oliphant was born at Wallyford, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, and spent her childhood at Lasswade (near Dalkeith), Glasgow and Liverpool. As a girl, she constantly experimented with writing. In 1849 she had her first novel published: Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland which dealt with the Scottish Free Church movement. It was followed by Caleb Field in 1851, the year in which she met the publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to contribute to the famous Blackwood's Magazine. The connection was to last for her whole lifetime, during which she contributed well over 100 articles, including, a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 5, 2026
As fun and enjoyable as always
July 21, 2026
Book overview from the publisher, Victoria's Archives:
"Lady Jane Altamont, the proud and reserved daughter of a powerful duke, has been raised to embody the dignity and traditions of her illustrious house. Her life, governed by expectation and rank, takes an unforeseen turn when she encounters Reginald Winton—a wealthy, well-bred gentleman whose background does not match her own.
As affection blossoms between them, Jane finds herself caught between the demands of family pride and the stirrings of her own heart. In drawing rooms and country estates, amid gossip, intrigue, and the weight of centuries-old privilege, she must navigate a world in which love and duty rarely align.
Originally published as Lady Jane and later reissued as The Duke’s Daughter, this is one of Margaret Oliphant’s most incisive portraits of class, power, and a woman’s struggle for self-determination within the Victorian aristocracy."
I've been wanting to read more books by Margaret Oliphant after absolutely loving her book, Hester. Lady Jane is an 164 page novella first published in 1882. The story was an interesting look at the demands of being a member of British aristocracy at a time when that elite world was starting to crumble. While one could certainly never say it was easier being one of the poor working class, it wasn't always easy to be an aristocrat woman either. Lady Jane, and even her mother Duchess Altamont, had very little freedom to make their own choices. Their lives were largely controlled by their father and husband, Duke Altamont, who proves to be rather unreasonable. It took me a bit to get into this story, but I loved it by the end. Lady Jane and the Duchess along with Winton and Lady Germaine were wonderful characters. It was delightful to see them pitting their wits against the Duke. He was due for a comeuppance.
"Lady Jane Altamont, the proud and reserved daughter of a powerful duke, has been raised to embody the dignity and traditions of her illustrious house. Her life, governed by expectation and rank, takes an unforeseen turn when she encounters Reginald Winton—a wealthy, well-bred gentleman whose background does not match her own.
As affection blossoms between them, Jane finds herself caught between the demands of family pride and the stirrings of her own heart. In drawing rooms and country estates, amid gossip, intrigue, and the weight of centuries-old privilege, she must navigate a world in which love and duty rarely align.
Originally published as Lady Jane and later reissued as The Duke’s Daughter, this is one of Margaret Oliphant’s most incisive portraits of class, power, and a woman’s struggle for self-determination within the Victorian aristocracy."
I've been wanting to read more books by Margaret Oliphant after absolutely loving her book, Hester. Lady Jane is an 164 page novella first published in 1882. The story was an interesting look at the demands of being a member of British aristocracy at a time when that elite world was starting to crumble. While one could certainly never say it was easier being one of the poor working class, it wasn't always easy to be an aristocrat woman either. Lady Jane, and even her mother Duchess Altamont, had very little freedom to make their own choices. Their lives were largely controlled by their father and husband, Duke Altamont, who proves to be rather unreasonable. It took me a bit to get into this story, but I loved it by the end. Lady Jane and the Duchess along with Winton and Lady Germaine were wonderful characters. It was delightful to see them pitting their wits against the Duke. He was due for a comeuppance.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews