Rosa Grey, or, the Officer’s Daughter
Rosa Grey is a novel by Christiana Jane Douglas. The novel’s heroine is young Rosa Grey, the orphaned child of a naval hero and a devout mother. The story displays the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual transformations Rosa goes through as she moves from a dreamy, immature girl into womanhood. The novel is set primarily in Scotland during the middle of the 19th century. It covers 3 volumes, and approximately 590 pages.
The tale opens with the death of Rosa’s pious, yet timid mother, leaving her only child an orphan. Rosa’s father, a Royal Navy captain, had died a hero’s death when his daughter was only an infant. With no other relations to turn to, Rosa is sent to live with her Aunt, Mrs. Clifden, the wealthy wife of her father’s brother. Upon arriving at Riversthwaite, she is met with a formal, yet cold reception from her Aunt, who thinks of the young girl as no more than a poor dependent whose need for her charity alone places her within her notice. Also living at Riversthwaite is Mrs. Clifden’s nephew, Robert. This young man treats Rosa with a sort of condescending politeness that causes Rosa to dislike him. Rosa meets several other characters while living with her aunt, including the handsome, young clergyman, Harold Blakeney, whose interest in Rosa soon grows. She also meets with Mr. Wills, a middle-aged neighbor of Mrs. Clifden who made a small fortune in India. As time goes on, Rosa and Robert Clifden’s relationship begins to change, and they develop a friendship that melts Robert’s cold, hardened heart. After enduring several personal heartaches and trials, Rosa develops into a mature, self-possessed woman who, of course, finds love.
I enjoyed the first two volumes quite a bit, as well as the first part of the last volume, but, about half way through, I began to feel that I was going to be sorely disappointed with the ending. Happily, however, the story picked up and I was satisfied at the end. Throughout the novel, the characters discovered and discoursed on biblical principles and morals, which was mostly inspiring, but was occasionally overly done. As far as the subtitle of the novel, “the Officer’s Daughter”, the fact played little into the actual plot of the story. The author was, herself, the child of a naval officer, so I suppose that was her inducement for the subtitle.