The Stokesley Secret

by Charlotte Mary Yonge

Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823-1901), was an English novelist, known for her huge output. She was devoted to the Church of England, and much influenced by John Keble, a near neighbour and one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Her novels reflected the values and concerns of Anglo-Catholicism. She began writing in 1848, and published during her long life about 100 works, chiefly novels. Her first commercial success, The Heir of Redclyffe (1854), provided the funding to enable the schooner Southern Cross to be put into service on behalf of George Selwyn. Similar charitable works were done with the profits from later novels. She was also editor, for nearly forty years, of a magazine for young ladies, the Monthly Packet. Among the best known of her works are Heartsease; or, The Brother's Wife (1854), The Daisy Chain; or, Aspirations (1856), A History of Christian Names (1863, revised 1884), A Book of Golden Deeds (1864), The Dove in the Eagle's Nest (1866), Life of John Coleridge Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands (1873) and Hannah More (1888).

Genres: Classics, Victorian, Fiction

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1861

About the author

Charlotte Mary Yonge was an English novelist, known for her huge output, now mostly out of print.

She began writing in 1848, and published during her long life about 160 works, chiefly novels. Her first commercial success, The Heir of Redclyffe (1853), provided the funding to enable the schooner Southern Cross to be put into service on behalf of George Selwyn. Similar charitable works were done with the profits from later novels. Yonge was also a founder and editor for forty years of The Monthly Packet, a magazine (founded in 1851) with a varied readership, but targeted at British Anglican girls (in later years it was addressed to a somewhat wider readership).

Among the best known of her works are The Heir of Redclyffe, Heartsease, and The Daisy Chain. A Book of Golden Deeds is a collection of true stories of courage and self-sacrifice. She also wrote Cameos from English History, Life of John Coleridge Patteson: Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands and Hannah More. Her History of Christian Names was described as "the first serious attempt at tackling the subject" and as the standard work on names in the preface to the first edition of Withycombe's The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 1944.

Her personal example and influence on her god-daughter, Alice Mary Coleridge, played a formative role in Coleridge's zeal for women's education and thus, indirectly, led to the foundation of Abbots Bromley School for Girls.

After her death, her friend, assistant and collaborator, Christabel Coleridge, published the biographical Charlotte Mary Yonge: her Life and Letters (1903).

-Wikipedia

The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship, a website with lots of information.

See Charlotte's character page for books about her.

Reviews

[Darryl Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another fabulous CMY! A wonderful story of the Merrifield family and their governess, Miss Fosbrook. I absolutely loved CMY’s strong themes here of the importance of beauty in life, as well as the rewards of hard work and sacrifice, the joy of giving, and the sanctifying value of trials, discipline, and hardships.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun Charlotte Mary Yonge, and I think it would be a good place to start with her work. It has the lively family atmosphere that she is so good at and an endearing governess protagonist named Christabel Fosbrook. I could never quite figure out what order the kids came in age-wise but eventually they fell into place. Now what I want is Miss Fosbrook’s full story. Her growing up years in poor London with a hardworking doctor father sound fascinating. She has a tough job in this book to manage the Merrifield kids in the absence of their parents, and she rises to the occasion splendidly.

[Penny -Thecatladybooknook · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This is my third piece of writing that I've read from Yonge. I didn't know what to expect going into this other than it introduces the Merrifield family which appear somewhere in some of Yonge's other novels. I also knew this was about the children of the family wanting to buy a pig for a neighbor which would help her pay the rent.I'm sorry, friends, but other than the last 4 chapters (starting when Captain Merriford returns), I didn't enjoy this too much.


As I said above the children want to buy a pig for a neighbor. Captain and Mrs. Merrifield are gone to London because Mrs. Merrifield is gravely ill. I was invested in seeing what happens with her so I kept reading. The other part of the book was all the children teasing and taunting and arguing with each other while the governess, Miss Fosbrook (whom I did like) tried to teach them their lessons and just in general try to keep peace in her first official governess job....more of a slice of life of children. I enjoyed the last four chapters most because the Captain comes home and makes some decisions about the older children while teaching moral lessons and consequences for behavior for the betterment of the children and their futures.

I'm excited to get to more Yonge soon!!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight — and the experience as made even better by buddy reading it with Art and Darryl.

[Elizabeth Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family of eight children live at the country estate of Stokesly under the watchful eye of their new governess Miss Forsbrook.

I picked this book up as a recommendation from Kate Howe over on Youtube for her Victober prompt friendship. Her way of talking about the governess and her charges and their daily tasks, joys and tribulations really intrigued me. And I really enjoyed this book, it was incredibly entertaining. All the children though many had very distinct personalities, you really started to feel for them on all that they did. Even if the plot line wasn’t very complicated it was really well written. It entertained and also it really made you feel as if you were part of the story. The way of writing was easy to follow and made it even nicer to read.

I really enjoyed this and I think it is an accessible beginners read into Victorian literature. If you don’t like strong Christian morals and just the overall children’s literature aspect I don’t recommend it, but if you have nothing against that it is a perfect cozy entertaining read.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweet work of domestic fiction with Christian themes and values, about a governess taking care of a large family. I would have loved reading this aloud to my children 20 years ago, but I hadn't heard of Charlotte Mary Yonge back then. Yonge was a best-selling Victorian author, and I hope she makes a comeback! This was my 2nd Charlotte Mary Yonge book, and I plan to read many more of her books.

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a treasury book many years ago and it stuck with me. Read it again for the first time since I was a child and remain incredibly impressed: a small domestic study of character. Lovely writing.

[Lesley Stanbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming.

[Robin Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Domestic fiction with christian tones and beautifully written.