Kitty Alone: A Story of Three Fires

by Sabine Baring-Gould

Kate Quarm is a bright and sensitive girl. She lives with her aunt and uncle at Coombe Cellers, a farmhouse, eating house and store occupying a promontory in the estuary of the Teign, in the south of Devon. Kate's father is a dreamer, always off on the next get-rich-quick scheme, wandering across the countryside with his donkey cart. It seems that no one has the time or the inclination to try to understand Kitty and she is left very much "alone." But when she ferries the son of the richest farmer in the neighborhood across the Teign and he falls head over heals for the pretty girl, it seems that the fortunes of Kitty Alone are about to change. Or maybe not - for Rose Ash has marked John out as her own and is keen on defending her claim while Kitty's thoughts center more on the stars and the tides (and the new schoolmaster) than on the ardent boy next door.

The Rev'd Sabine Bearing Gould was a keen observer of people who filled his books with a broad cast of characters, humorously drawn from the 19th Century English countryside. (Summary by MaryAnn)

Genres: Audiobook

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

Sabine Baring-Gould was born in the parish of St Sidwell, Exeter. The eldest son of Edward Baring-Gould and his first wife, Sophia Charlotte (née Bond), he was named after a great-uncle, the Arctic explorer Sir Edward Sabine. Because the family spent much of his childhood travelling round Europe, most of his education was by private tutors. He only spent about two years in formal schooling, first at King's College School in London (then located in Somerset House) and then, for a few months, at Warwick Grammar School (now Warwick School). Here his time was ended by a bronchial disease of the kind that was to plague him throughout his long life. His father considered his ill-health as a good reason for another European tour.

In 1852 he was admitted to Cambridge University, earning the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in 1857, then Master of Arts in 1860 from Clare College, Cambridge. During 1864, he became the curate at Horbury Bridge, West Riding of Yorkshire. It was while acting as a curate that he met Grace Taylor, the daughter of a mill hand, then aged fourteen. In the next few years they fell in love. His vicar, John Sharp, arranged for Grace to live for two years with relatives in York to learn middle class manners. Baring-Gould, meanwhile, relocated to become perpetual curate at Dalton, near Thirsk. He and Grace were married in 1868 at Wakefield. Their marriage lasted until her death 48 years later, and the couple had 15 children, all but one of whom lived to adulthood. When he buried his wife in 1916 he had carved on her tombstone the Latin motto Dimidium Animae Meae ("Half my Soul").

Baring-Gould became the rector of East Mersea in Essex in 1871 and spent ten years there. In 1872 his father died and he inherited the 3,000 acre (12 km²) family estates of Lew Trenchard in Devon, which included the gift of the living of Lew Trenchard parish. When the living became vacant in 1881, he was able to appoint himself to it, becoming parson as well as squire. He did a great deal of work restoring St Peter's Church, Lew Trenchard, and (from 1883 – 1914) thoroughly remodelled his home, Lew Trenchard Manor.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

Notes while reading
Volume 2, page 21
Kate had another source of pleasure with her. As Walter Bramber parted from her at Ashburton, he put a little book into her hand, and said --
"I will lend it you. I know you will value it."
The book was Wordsworth's poems.
As she sat beside her father in the gig, she had her hand on the volume all the while, and her heart swelled with excitement and eagerness to read it. At night she hugged the book to her bosom, and fell asleep with both hands clasped over it. She could hardly endure that night should, with its darkness, deny her the happiness of reading. She woke early, and in the breaking daylight devoured the pages. As she read, she laughed and cried -- laughed and cried with sheer delight. She had a book to read; and such a book!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book rather a lot, but I like it even more when I compare it Thomas Hardy. If you want an old-timey, rural, British, slightly wooden novel about the vast changes rendered by global capitalism embodied in one slightly-off girl, throw Tess of the D'Ubervilles into a pond and read Kitty Alone, because it is better and the girl isn't punished for the sins of Man.

Kitty asks sensible questions, like, "Why do some stars twinkle and some do not?" and everyone tells her she's ridiculous until the new schoolmaster comes to town and teaches her poetry, dendrochronology, and astrophysics. Meanwhile, her foolish uncle is near bankruptcy over wood, coal, and fleeces he's bought that can't be sold and are lying in his warehouse while his creditors bay. He is beguiled by the new inventions of insurance and matches, and their combined possibilities.

Sabine Baring-Gould does masterfully in writing the story of a girl who is socially alone but very connected to a village of people who all have strong opinions about her and everything else that happens in this Dover hamlet. Loved it.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable listen from Librivox, with nice singing of the folk songs by Mary Ann. It was my first by this author. It is reminiscent of Hardy, but much happier in tone as the story unfolds. For those who may wonder, the "hautbois" referenced in the musical scenes is the early name for the oboe (high wood).

[MountainAshleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this novel free on Libravox, read by an excellent narrator. It's a very good book well worth reading if you're interested in Victorian literature outside of the usual classics. Don't expect Jane Eyre, the author was a minister so the novel gets a bit preachy, and Kitty seems to take a backseat to the plot towards the last third or so of the novel. Still, it's an easy listen and worth the experience even if only to learn about a Lucifer match. I had no idea...!!!

[James Giddings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a joy. I recommend the Librivox audiobook read by Mary Ann. The insights into the natural world of Devonshire and Dartmoor are wonderful, especially after having read "Dart" by Deborah Harvey, which focuses on an earlier time in the same region. The insights into the relationship between truth and soul are very real, and, at the same time, very Victorian. You'll learn a lot about the history of capitalist exploitation that proves particularly relevant to the politics of our day.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this novel, first published in 1898. The story of a quiet, but intelligent girl who was misunderstood by almost everyone she knew. I would say it is a mystery/romance with more emphasis on the mystery and much detail about the rural community and times she lived in.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 2 out of 5]

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t get into it.