In Maremma, a desolate, pestilential wasteland on the Tuscan coast, the beautiful young orphan Musa, daughter of the infamous bandit Saturnino, lives with her adoptive mother Joconda. But when Joconda dies, Musa is left alone to live in the ruins of an ancient Etruscan tomb. Several men will try to marry and tame her, but Musa remains defiantly independent...until she discovers for the first time the passion of real love - with tragic results.
First published in 1882 at the height of Ouida's popularity, In Maremma was one of Ouida's most popular novels after Under Two Flags (1867) and Moths (1880). A mixture of modern female Gothic and an important meditation on women's role in nineteenth century society, In Maremma remains as vital and moving as when it was first published. This edition includes a new introduction and notes by one of the world's foremost Ouida scholars, Natalie Schroeder, as well as the text of contemporary reviews.