The Cloister And The Health Or Maid, Wife, And Widow

""The Cloister and the Hearth or Maid, Wife, and Widow: A Matter-Of-Fact Romance"" is a novel written by Charles Reade and published in 1861. The story is set in the 15th century and follows the life of Gerard Eliassoen, a young Dutchman who dreams of becoming a painter. However, his father, a wealthy cloth merchant, wants him to follow in his footsteps and become a businessman. Gerard falls in love with a young woman named Margaret, but their relationship is complicated by her father's disapproval and the fact that Gerard's family is Catholic while Margaret's is Protestant.As Gerard struggles to make a living as a painter, he becomes embroiled in a series of adventures and misfortunes, including being falsely accused of murder and being kidnapped by pirates. Through it all, he remains devoted to Margaret and eventually marries her. However, their happiness is short-lived as Margaret dies in childbirth, leaving Gerard to raise their son alone.The novel is notable for its detailed historical accuracy and its exploration of themes such as love, family, religion, and the pursuit of artistic passion. It is also regarded as one of Reade's most popular and enduring works, and has been adapted into several stage productions and films.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.