Dora Deane; Or, The East India Uncle

A twelve-year-old orphaned girl endures poverty and the death of her mother in a grim city garret, carrying only faint memories of a rural childhood. Her dying parent arranges for her to live with a distant, estranged aunt and sends a letter to a wayward brother who went to India, hoping he will provide protection. The narrative follows the girl's struggles with cold relatives, the uncovering of family jealousies and past romantic entanglements, and her steady moral courage. It examines duty and sacrifice, the contrast between wealth and want, and the prospect of reconciliation as hidden loyalties and old grievances come to light.