Virginia Grinevitch gives the concluding talk of our Rachel Ray BIG READ. Virginia, or Ginny to most, is a retired high school chemistry teacher who spends much of her time rereading Anthony Trollope novels at her home on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta, Canada.

Rachel Ray is a domestic novel set in a small Devon town, focusing on the emotional and moral struggles of a young woman whose prospects of happiness are clouded by family pressure and religious intolerance. When Rachel meets Luke Rowan, a spirited young man with unclear intentions, she must navigate conflicting advice from her kindly mother and her strict Evangelical sister. The novel offers a sharp critique of religious hypocrisy and the limits placed on women’s independence, while providing a tender portrait of love, reputation, and small-town life.

Rachel Ray was originally published as a two volume novel in London, Chapman and Hall, 1863.

Illustration: John Everett Millais, frontispiece for Rachel Ray, 7th Edition

Resources

• Plot summary and character listing for Rachel Ray
• Download Rachel Ray free of charge from Project Gutenberg
• Explore our Reading Guide for Rachel Ray