The World Before Them: A Novel VOL. II by Susanna Moodie is a historical novel set in a quaint English village during the late 19th century. The story follows Dorothy, a young woman caught between love, loss, and the constraints of societal expectations. As she navigates her feelings for Gilbert Rushmere, who has risen in military rank and seemingly forgotten her, Dorothy grapples with the emotional weight of their past and the changing circumstances of her life. The novel opens by detailing Dorothy's deep emotional connection to her deceased mother and her current role as a pupil in the home of Mr. Martin, the local curate. Her bond with Gilbert is marked by youthful dreams, but as his fortunes grow, Dorothy is left heartbroken, struggling with his apparent indifference to their past love. Amidst emotional turmoil, she seeks solace in her work and new relationships, especially with the Martin family. The novel delves into Dorothy's internal conflict as she confronts societal pressures and the harsh realities of life, all while trying to reconcile her hopes for happiness with the societal duties that weigh heavily upon her.
English-born Susanna Moodie, who lived in Canada from 6 December 1803 to 8 April 1885, wrote about her experiences as an immigrant in what was then a British province. On the banks of the River Waveney in Suffolk, Susanna Moodie was born in Bungay. In a family of authors that also included Agnes Strickland, Jane Margaret Strickland, and Catharine Parr Traill, she was the youngest sibling. In addition to publishing books about Spartacus and Jugurtha, she wrote her first children's book in 1822 and other children's stories in London. She participated in the Anti-Slavery Society in London and transcribed Mary Prince's story, a former slave from the Caribbean. She wed retired officer and Napoleonic War veteran John Moodie on 4 April 1831. Moodie immigrated to Upper Canada in 1832 together with her husband, a British Army officer, and daughter. Her brother Samuel Strickland (1804–1867) worked as a surveyor on a farm in Douro Township, close to Lakefield, north of Peterborough, where the family eventually lived. The farm now serves as a museum and houses antiquities. The museum, which Samuel founded, was formerly an Anglican church and has a view of Susanna's former canoeing spot on the Otonabee River.
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