Love at Second Sight

Written by Ada Leverson

Narrated by Helen Taylor

In the final instalment of the 'Little Ottleys' trilogy, three years have passed since Bruce and Edith's marriage was in danger of collapse. Thanks to Edith's forgiving and patient ways they have put their difficulties behind them, and their lives seem on an even keel despite the advent of the First World War. But change is in the air: Bruce and Edith have a house guest - the intriguing Madame Frabelle charms everyone she meets and seems to show no signs of leaving. And then Edith's old flame, the charismatic and bewitching Aylmer Ross, comes home injured from the front, and Edith's carefully constructed life is thrown into confusion once again... - Summary by Helen Taylor

• Language: English
• Publisher: LibriVox
• Release date: Aug 25, 2014

Ada Leverson

Ada Leverson (1862-1933) was a British novelist. Born into a middle-class Jewish family, Leverson was raised alongside eight siblings by Samuel Henry Beddington, a wool merchant, and his wife Zillah. At 19, she married Ernest Leverson, with whom she would raise a daughter, Violet. In the 1890s, she embarked on a career as a professional writer, submitting stories and articles to Punch, The Yellow Book, and The Saturday Review. Through her work as a theater critic, she gained a reputation for her abundant wit and satirical tone, parodying friends and enemies alike in some of England’s most popular magazines and newspapers. She was a devoted friend of Oscar Wilde, who supported her literary pursuits and shared her humorous outlook on life. When Wilde was put on trial for his homosexuality, Leverson offered him a place to stay and continued corresponding with the Irish author until the end of his life. She wrote several novels throughout her life, including The Twelfth Hour (1907) and Little Ottleys (1908-1916), a trilogy inspired by her troubled marriage to Ernest, who abandoned her in 1905 to move to Canada. Although far from a bestselling author in her time, Leverson has come to be seen as a pioneering artist whose works display a keen understanding of society’s triumphs and shortcomings.