Mable Riley

Elisabeth Anne MacDonald-Murray is a private scholar, writing and
editing in Souris, Manitoba.

Set in Stratford, Ontario, in 1901, this novel features Mable Riley, an
imaginative and creative 14-year-old who has left home to be an
assistant to her schoolmistress sister and to find inspiration for her
writing away from the “daily toils” of her home. Mable is looking
for adventure, but at first she finds only a variation on the same
chores and duties that she had at home—until she meets the mysterious
and unconventional Mrs. Rattle. Mable’s admiration for the outspoken
and flamboyant Mrs. Rattle is shaken by her discovery that her new
friend is a suffragist, and her Women’s Reading Circle is merely a
cover for her to meet with like-minded women who seek to campaign for
women’s rights. Suddenly Mable has found more excitement than she
anticipated, but it has also caused her to think about her own ideas of
justice and morality, and to consider what she wants and expects for her
own life.

Marthe Jocelyn has created a charming and entertaining heroine who
tells her story through journal entries, letters, and the occasional
poem, as well as a romance in serial form that she is writing for a
friend back home. Her observations on life and social relations are
lively, and her reflections on other characters are not only humorous
but perceptive. As Mable discovers the force of her own convictions, and
the importance of finding her own means of expressing those convictions,
she demonstrates a growing maturity that adds new depth to her
character. This is a story that will delight and entertain primarily
young girls, but would prove a rewarding read for any reader. Highly
recommended.