Behind A Mask

From the prolific author of Little Women, this crime fiction novella highlights the breadth of Louisa May Alcott's talent.
First published in 1866, Behind a Mask takes place in Victorian England and follows a sly, master manipulator, Jean Muir. Working as the governess for the Coventry family, Jean is a deceptive and scheming woman determined to set right the many ways in which she believes she has been wronged. After successfully causing a stir amongst the men and women of high society, Jean decides to aim high and attempt to trick the Coventries into giving her their family fortune. But with many secrets hidden behind her innocent facade, Jean only has a narrow window of time to successfully carry out her plan. Delve into Alcott's early classic to discover the truth behind Jean's mask.

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel, "Little Women," published in 1868, and its sequels "Little Men" (1871) and "Jo's Boys" (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, she worked to help support the family from an early age, and also sought an outlet in writing.