Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles

MRS. HALLIBURTON'S TROUBLES is one of the less sensational novels written by Mrs. Henry Wood, which is to say that only half the characters have to contend with debt, seduction, murder, roguery, deception, and that worst of all Victorian fates, sinking below their class. These are the troubles that beset those without the strength of will and sterling moral character of the novel's heroine, the widowed Mrs. Halliburton, who supports her children with nothing more than unremitting labor and a belief in God. Mrs. Halliburton's iron will contrasts with the dissolute lifestyle of the Halliburtons' cousins, the Dares, who suffer one scandal and disgrace after another. In the end, of course, God helps only those who helped themselves. The dramatic trials of Mrs. Halliburton and the scandalous doings of the Dares made MRS. HALLIBURTON'S TROUBLES one of the best-selling novels of 1862, and added another triumph to Mrs. Henry Wood's long line of successes. Although she is all but forgotten in modern literary circles, Mrs. Henry Wood was one of the most famous novelists of the Victorian period, with a sales record that rivaled Dickens. Where Dickens portrayed social forces as well as characters, however, Wood emphasized the power of the individual. For her, Mrs. Halliburton's poverty is an opportunity to explore the idea of character and the ways in which people determine their own fate. In this Mrs. Henry Wood anticipated the rags-to-riches novels of Horatio Alger.

About the Author :
Ellen Wood (1814 - 1887), was an English novelist, better known as Mrs. Henry Wood. She is remembered most for her 1861 novel East Lynne, but many of her books became international bestsellers and widely known in the United States. She surpassed the fame of Charles Dickens in Australia. In 1836 she married Henry Wood, who worked in the banking and shipping trade in Dauphiné in the South of France, where they lived for 20 years. On the failure of Wood's business, the family (including four children) returned to England and settled in Upper Norwood near London, where Ellen Wood turned to writing. This supported the family after Henry Wood died in 1866. She wrote over 30 novels, many of which (especially East Lynne) enjoyed remarkable popularity. Among the best known are Danesbury House, Oswald Cray, Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles, The Channings, Lord Oakburn's Daughters and The Shadow of Ashlydyat. Her writing tone would be described as "conservative and Christian," occasionally expressing religious rhetoric. In 1867, Wood purchased the English magazine Argosy, which had been founded by Alexander Strahan in 1865. Wood continued as its editor until her death in 1887, when her son Charles Wood took over. Wood's works were translated into many languages, including French and Russian. Leo Tolstoy, in a March 1872 letter to his older brother Sergei, noted that he was "reading Mrs. Wood's wonderful novel In the Maze." Wood wrote several works of supernatural fiction, including "The Ghost" (1862) and the often anthologized "Reality or Delusion?" (1868).