Regina Maria Roche’s The Children of the Abbey

In a captivating world of family secrets, forbidden love, and misfortune, Regina Maria Roche’s classic gothic horror novel is a testament to her masterfully atmospheric writing.

Young orphans Amanda and Oscar Fitzalan are cheated of their rightful inheritance and raised in the confines of an abbey. As they grow, they discover dark, treacherous secrets held within the walls of their home, and haunting events blur at the edge of their peaceful existence.

This volume is part of the Mothers of the Macabre series, celebrating the gothic horror masterpieces of pioneering women writers who played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the genre. First published in 1796, The Children of the Abbey examines societal expectations and class division in an intricate tapestry of romance, the supernatural, and social commentary. Mentioned in both Jane Austen’s Emma (1815) and L. M. Montgomery’s Emily Climbs (1925), this compelling novel is a timelessly influential work of classic gothic romance.