Lorna Doone — R.D. Blackmore

This classic novel of farmers, outlaws, and forbidden romance beautifully evokes seventeenth-century rural life in England's West Country.

Amidst the social and religious upheaval of seventeenth-century England, the once-noble Doone family has been transformed. Now a notorious clan of outlaws, the Doones show their victims no mercy -- a lesson the yeoman John Ridd learns when they murder his father. Though he longs for revenge, John must continue to provide for his mother and sister. But his life as a respectable, peace-loving farmer is turned on its head when he meets the beautiful Lorna Doone.
As a member of the Doone clan, Lorna is John's sworn enemy. Yet he cannot help loving her. In a desperate act to save her from her own family, John must risk everything -- and finally confront his past in a way that will change both his and Lorna's lives forever. First published in 1869, R. D. Blackmore's timeless tale of star-crossed lovers combines vivid depictions of early modern England with a dramatic narrative that culminates in tragic violence.