Jeanne of the Marshes

"Jeanne of the Marshes" by E. Phillips Oppenheim is a story that looks at the lives and connections between people in high society around the turn of the century. It centers on Jeanne, her stepmother Princess Ena, and men like Major Forrest and the mysterious Andrew de la Borne as they deal with love, what society expects of them, and the secrets they keep. The story begins with Princess Ena not wanting to see Major Forrest because she is sick, which shows she is both calm and practical. As she gets ready to meet him, they talk about personal problems and tricky relationships, especially Major Forrest's worries about what people think and his money troubles. With characters like Cecil de la Borne and Jeanne coming into the picture, things are set up for disagreements and social games. Smart conversations paint a clear picture of upper-class life, which is different from the simpler life of characters like Andrew, suggesting deeper ideas about class and who people really are that will be discovered later in the story.