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A Lady of Quality #2
His Grace of Osmonde
"His Grace of Osmonde" is a sequel to the previous novel "Lady of Quality." The book continues the story of one of the protagonists, Duke Gerald.
The Duke is handsome, gracious, kind, and noble, and he enters the story as a person who has everything but the bride. He finally meets her and starts an engaging train of events that can't leave a reader indifferent.
The Duke is handsome, gracious, kind, and noble, and he enters the story as a person who has everything but the bride. He finally meets her and starts an engaging train of events that can't leave a reader indifferent.
480 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
About the author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1,587 books5,046 followersFrances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was a British-American novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911).
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, Manchester, England. After her father died in 1853, when Frances was 4 years old, the family fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling in New Market, Tennessee. Frances began her writing career there at age 19 to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines. In 1870, her mother died. In Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1873 she married Swan M. Burnett, who became a medical doctor. Their first son Lionel was born a year later. The Burnetts lived for two years in Paris, where their second son Vivian was born, before returning to the United States to live in Washington, D.C. Burnett then began to write novels, the first of which (That Lass o' Lowrie's), was published to good reviews. Little Lord Fauntleroy was published in 1886 and made her a popular writer of children's fiction, although her romantic adult novels written in the 1890s were also popular. She wrote and helped to produce stage versions of Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Little Princess.
Beginning in the 1880s, Burnett began to travel to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden. Her elder son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1890, which caused a relapse of the depression she had struggled with for much of her life. She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898, married Stephen Townesend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. A few years later she settled in Nassau County, New York, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery.
In 1936, a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh was erected in her honor in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 14, 2018
A well-built, handsome, gracious, kind, noble nobleman has all the gifts nature can bestow, except for his bride. He hasn't met her yet. But he knows he will meet her someday.
And when he sets eyes on her the first time, she is a gorgeous hoyden - the swearing, boisterous tomboy daughter of a profligate, ne'er-do-well lord. But he is patient, knowing that fate and nature will tame her and bring them together.
Or will they? Or will his spirited wife-to-be be ruined by the world and by the playboys that would prey upon her?
And when he sets eyes on her the first time, she is a gorgeous hoyden - the swearing, boisterous tomboy daughter of a profligate, ne'er-do-well lord. But he is patient, knowing that fate and nature will tame her and bring them together.
Or will they? Or will his spirited wife-to-be be ruined by the world and by the playboys that would prey upon her?
March 11, 2018
Rispetto a 'A Lady of Quality', che segue passo passo, dall'inizio alla fine, questo libro sembra ancor più influenzato da tempi e modi della narrazione settecentesca: e, adottando il punto di vista dell'ineccepibile eroe (e non quello dell'esuberante eroina) diventa inevitabilmente più lento e moraleggiante. Ma chi ha amato il primo, troverà comunque piacevole ripercorrerne la storia con occhi diversi.
March 15, 2023
I liked this one a lot more than A Lady of Quality, the Duke of Osmonde, who is basically a cypher in the previous book, turns out to have a personality (yes, of course, he's still a paragon because of course he is, but he isn't a cardboard cutout and has thoughts and angst and motivations). I actually liked following him more than Clorinda, he was less bombastic and so actually felt more like a real person.
July 21, 2020
A good story I think.
I don't give more because I found it a bit tiresome at some points, with much repetitions of the same things that could as well be cast off the book so it would me more straightforward. Still I like it, not too much, I don't want to read it again, though I don't repent have read it also.
Enjoy it!
I don't give more because I found it a bit tiresome at some points, with much repetitions of the same things that could as well be cast off the book so it would me more straightforward. Still I like it, not too much, I don't want to read it again, though I don't repent have read it also.
Enjoy it!
May 16, 2014
I wasn't expecting much from this book, since the titular Duke doesn't really get much screen time in A Lady of Quality. We're told that he's an amazing guy, but we don't see much of it. I expected to find him rather dull in this book, but had the happy surprise of finding him extremely engaging. It's difficult to make this kind of character interesting, since it can be difficult to find a compelling conflict for them.
What does the man who has everything have to worry about? In Gerald's case, it's the struggle to live up to the expectations he has of himself. Much like the ways that Clorinda's strength (of every kind), honesty, and social awareness are evident from the time she is a child, so is Gerald's nobility, and consequent dismay that the world does not live up to that nobility, and that he may struggle to live up to his own ideals.
The use of fate or something like it in romance novels can be hokey, but in this case, the many instances in which Clo's life brushes Gerald's both feel natural and lend credence to Gerald's odd feeling that Clo is haunting him. It is also interesting to see Gerald's perspective on many of the same characters and events that occurred in the companion book.
I greatly enjoyed this book, and will be on the lookout for a nice edition of the pair.
Audiobook-specific: The reader had a good clear voice. Although she pronounced some words incorrectly and wasn't the most emotive reader, it was still a good audiobook.
What does the man who has everything have to worry about? In Gerald's case, it's the struggle to live up to the expectations he has of himself. Much like the ways that Clorinda's strength (of every kind), honesty, and social awareness are evident from the time she is a child, so is Gerald's nobility, and consequent dismay that the world does not live up to that nobility, and that he may struggle to live up to his own ideals.
The use of fate or something like it in romance novels can be hokey, but in this case, the many instances in which Clo's life brushes Gerald's both feel natural and lend credence to Gerald's odd feeling that Clo is haunting him. It is also interesting to see Gerald's perspective on many of the same characters and events that occurred in the companion book.
I greatly enjoyed this book, and will be on the lookout for a nice edition of the pair.
Audiobook-specific: The reader had a good clear voice. Although she pronounced some words incorrectly and wasn't the most emotive reader, it was still a good audiobook.
January 30, 2010
Sequel to Lady of Quality, and tells the Duke's story. An excellent companion to LoQ, and has some interesting ruminations on what makes a good person. The love story seems much more rich, hearing his side of the story. Plus the angst was delicious, especially since it was portrayed quite well.
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December 19, 2016Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15651/...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews