The Head of the House of Coombe

Don’t you just hate it when your selfish, child-like mother, who’ve done nothing but ignore you your entire life, marries the most arrogant man in London, only to abandon you to the mercy of a cold-hearted nurse?

By popular opinion Feather is one of the most beautiful women in London, and Lord Coombe is the most well-dressed man in town. On the surface it would appear the pair was destined to meet. The only one who isn’t happy with the union is Feather’s daughter, Robin, who’s got her own reasons for hating the dapper gentleman her mother is marrying.

The 'Head of the House of Coombe' is a riches to rags story in which we follow the wealthy nobleman Lord Coombe, busy socialite Feather and her daughter Robin as they navigate 20th century pre-war London. The novel also serves as a commentary on the political and social reasons behind World War I.

The 'Head of the House of Coombe' was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) and published in 1922, becoming the fourth-highest bestselling novel in the United States that same year.

Robin, the sequel to The Head of The House of Coombe, was also published in 1922.

Frances Hodgson Burnett was an English American playwright and author. Born in the UK in Manchester to a family of ironmongers, she later migrated to the United States where she would go on to write some of her most famous plays and novels.

During the span of her career, Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote and published more than 53 novels, most of them for adults. However, she is perhaps best known for her work in children’s literature, including famous titles such as ‘The Little Princess’ (1905), ‘The Secret Garden’ (1911), and ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’ (1886).

Frances Hodgson Burnett is also known for her historical fiction, including acclaimed titles such as 'The Head of the House of Coombe' (1922) and its sequel, 'Robin' (1922).

Burnett’s work has been adapted for film many times. The latest movie adaptation of ‘The Secret Garden’ was released in 2020, starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters.