The Woman Thou Gavest Me; Being the Story of Mary O'Neill

"The Woman Thou Gavest Me; Being the Story of Mary O'Neill" by Sir Hall Caine is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers around Mary O'Neill, the unwanted daughter of Daniel O'Neill and Isabel. As her story unfolds, readers are introduced to the complexities of her family dynamics, particularly the struggles between her mother and Aunt Bridget, as well as Mary's own feelings of rejection and longing for acceptance. At the start of the novel, we learn about Mary's difficult beginnings as an unwanted child, juxtaposed against her father's ambitions and her mother's frailty. The initial chapters detail the setting of Mary's birth during a tumultuous storm, reflecting the turmoil that surrounds her life. From the accounts of her father, a once-peasant turned wealthy man, to her fragile mother who suffers both physically and emotionally, Mary finds herself grappling with her identity within a family that often seems at odds with her existence. As the story progresses, we witness the impact of familial expectations and societal pressures, setting the stage for Mary's quest for love and belonging. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine, usually known as Hall Caine, was a British novelist, dramatist, short story writer, poet and critic of the late 19th and early 20th century. Caine's popularity during his lifetime was unprecedented. He wrote 15 novels on subjects of adultery, divorce, domestic violence, illegitimacy, infanticide, religious bigotry and women's rights, became an international literary celebrity, and sold a total of ten million books. Caine was the most highly paid novelist of his day. The Eternal City is the first novel to have sold over a million copies worldwide. In addition to his books, Caine is the author of more than a dozen plays and was one of the most commercially successful dramatists of his time; many were West End and Broadway productions. Caine adapted seven of his novels for the stage. He collaborated with leading actors and managers, including Wilson Barrett, Viola Allen, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Louis Napoleon Parker, Mrs Patrick Campbell, George Alexander, and Arthur Collins. Most of Caine's novels were adapted into silent black and white films. A. E. Coleby's 1923 18,454 feet, nineteen-reel film The Prodigal Son became the longest commercially made British film. Alfred Hitchcock's 1929 film The Manxman, is Hitchcock's last silent film.