The Actress' Daughter: A Novel

"The Actress' Daughter: A Novel" by May Agnes Fleming is a 19th-century story about family, sorrow, and getting through tough times. It centers on Georgia, whose mom dies, leaving her to face a difficult path. The book starts on Christmas Eve, mixing cheer with a sense of something bad coming. We meet Miss Jerusha Skamp, a grumpy old woman who seems cold but, deep down, cares about people. At first, she turns away a boy asking for help for his sick mom, showing how harsh she can be. But, Jerusha's conscience gets to her, and she braves a storm to help. This leads her to find Georgia and her dead mother in an old cottage. The rest of the novel follows Georgia as she copes with her mother's death and tries to fit into a new life with Jerusha.