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The World Before Them: A Novel VOL. I by Susanna Moodie is a historical fiction novel that explores themes of love, social class, and personal conflict. The story follows Dorothy Chance, a young girl adopted by the Rushmere family after being found as an orphan. Dorothy finds herself in a complicated relationship with Gilbert Rushmere, whom she loves deeply, but their romance is met with opposition from Gilbert's father, Lawrence. Early in the narrative, Dorothy, feeling the weight of her humble origins, promises not to marry Gilbert without his father's consent, leading to a painful conflict in their relationship. The novel delves into Dorothy's internal struggles as she contemplates her loyalty to the family that raised her and her love for Gilbert. Set against a rich rural backdrop, the opening chapters evoke a strong sense of place while highlighting Dorothy's growing sense of discontent and her search for identity. As tensions within the Rushmere family rise, Dorothy's sense of belonging begins to unravel, setting the stage for her eventual departure from the home that has given her both love and conflict.
About the author
English-born Susanna Moodie, who lived in Canada from 6 December 1803 to 8 April 1885, wrote about her experiences as an immigrant in what was then a British province. On the banks of the River Waveney in Suffolk, Susanna Moodie was born in Bungay. In a family of authors that also included Agnes Strickland, Jane Margaret Strickland, and Catharine Parr Traill, she was the youngest sibling. In addition to publishing books about Spartacus and Jugurtha, she wrote her first children's book in 1822 and other children's stories in London. She participated in the Anti-Slavery Society in London and transcribed Mary Prince's story, a former slave from the Caribbean. She wed retired officer and Napoleonic War veteran John Moodie on 4 April 1831. Moodie immigrated to Upper Canada in 1832 together with her husband, a British Army officer, and daughter. Her brother Samuel Strickland (1804-1867) worked as a surveyor on a farm in Douro Township, close to Lakefield, north of Peterborough, where the family eventually lived. The farm now serves as a museum and houses antiquities. The museum, which Samuel founded, was formerly an Anglican church and has a view of Susanna's former canoeing spot on the Otonabee River.
