Read by Heather Nichols

In this gripping and emotionally charged Victorian drama, Louisa May Alcott reveals a darker, passionate side of her storytelling. Pauline's Passion and Punishment follows the intense emotional journey of Pauline, a woman betrayed by the man who once swore he loved her. When she discovers that her lover, Gilbert, has secretly married another woman, Pauline's heartbreak turns to a fierce resolve - she will reclaim her dignity, her power, and exact the justice she believes is owed to her. Consumed by the sting of betrayal, Pauline enlists the devotion of Manuel, a young admirer willing to help her in her quiet quest for revenge. What begins as a calculated plan soon becomes a rich and complex battle between pride, desire, forgiveness, and vengeance. As passions rise and moral boundaries blur, Pauline must confront the true cost of her choices - and decide whether retribution can ever mend a broken heart. This rarely heard work from the author of Little Women peels back the genteel layers of Victorian society to expose raw human emotion, jealousy, and fierce feminine agency. Masterfully brought to life by narrator Heather Nichols, this dramatic tale offers romance, tension, and psychological depth in equal measure. A bold, compelling portrait of a woman wronged - and the fire she refuses to let die

Mode of access: World Wide Web