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Set in Devon, where Rachel lives with her widowed mother and older sister, ‘Rachel Ray’ charts the romantic interests of young Rachel. When Londoner Luke Rowan comes to their small village of Baslehurst she becomes infatuated, and the pair are soon engaged. Rumours begin to swirl about Luke’s character however, as the locals begin to resent the outsider. Will Rachel and Luke be able to overcome the suspicions of others? First published in 1863 in the earlier stages of Anthony Trollope’s literary career, ‘Rachel Ray’ is a fascinating depiction of daily life in a small, rural Victorian community, the power of the Church, and a warning against the dangers of jealousy and gossip. Full of well-drawn, humorous characters, ‘Rachel Ray’ is a great place to start for those new to Trollope.

Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.