Joan Haste
H. Rider Haggard
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
A romantic melodrama and one of H. Rider Haggard's most poignant love stories. Joan Haste, a beautiful but illegitimate woman whose mother died when she was a few years old (and her father is unknown) is raised by her terrible, self-serving aunt and uncle. Joan meets navy Captain Henry Graves in the ruins of a crumbling church after Joan has spotted a jackdaw nest up on the wall of a falling-down bell tower and is unable to reach it. Henry, who is passing by and is immediately taken in by Joan, gallantly offers to climb up and get the baby birds, but ends up falling and breaking his leg. Joan is injured when she bravely tries to catch him to keep him from falling to his death on some iron spikes. They fall in love and here starts this haunting story.
(Summary by Elroi Shelley) (14 hr 48 min)
Chapters
| Joan Haste | 20:24 | Read by Elroi |
| Samuel Rock Declares Himself | 23:48 | Read by Elroi |
| The Beginnings of Fate | 25:11 | Read by Elroi |
| The Home-coming of Henry Graves | 27:22 | Read by Elroi |
| Levingers visit Rosham | 24:36 | Read by Elroi |
| Mr. Levinger Puts a Case | 25:56 | Read by Elroi |
| A Proposal and a Difference | 32:02 | Read by Elroi |
| Two Conversations | 28:56 | Read by Elroi |
| Mutual Admiration | 23:05 | Read by KHand |
| Azrael's Wing | 20:35 | Read by KHand |
| Ellen Grows Alarmed | 25:39 | Read by KHand |
| Ellen Finds a Remedy | 24:57 | Read by KHand |
| A Meeting by the Mere | 22:13 | Read by Allyson |
| Sowing the Wind | 17:16 | Read by Allyson |
| The Firstfruits | 27:15 | Read by Kendra Scarlavai |
| Fortiter in re | 28:47 | Read by Kendra Scarlavai |
| Between duty and duty | 20:29 | Read by Kendra Scarlavai |
| Congratulations | 20:01 | Read by valroth |
| Righteous indignation | 25:29 | Read by valroth |
| "Let it remain open" | 17:19 | Read by Allyson |
| A Luncheon Party | 24:24 | Read by Allyson |
| An Interlude | 27:53 | Read by Amy Brummett |
| A New Departure | 24:27 | Read by Amy Brummett |
| Messrs. Black and Parker | 27:11 | Read by guava |
| "I Forbid You" | 21:28 | Read by guava |
| A Love Letter | 19:21 | Read by Allyson |
| Luck at Last | 13:04 | Read by Allyson |
| The Price of Innocent Blood | 16:44 | Read by Allyson |
| Through the Valley of the Shadow | 17:47 | Read by Allyson |
| Reaping the Whirlwind | 20:23 | Read by Robin Leigh |
| The Gate of Paradise | 16:48 | Read by Robin Leigh |
| The Closing of the Gate | 17:37 | Read by Allyson |
| The Gate of Hell | 18:42 | Read by Allyson |
| The Opening of the Gate | 17:25 | Read by Allyson |
| Disenchantment | 18:23 | Read by Allyson |
| The Desire of Death - And the Fear of Him | 16:38 | Read by Allyson |
| The Truth, the Whole Truth | 17:53 | Read by Allyson |
| A Ghost of the Past | 21:45 | Read by Elsie Selwyn |
| Husband and Wife | 17:35 | Read by Elsie Selwyn |
| Full Measure, Pressed Down and Running Over | 31:51 | Read by Elsie Selwyn |
Reviews
A True Haggard Tragedy
Luella
A good story, something of a cross between 'Colonel Quaritch' and 'Jess'. Quite tragic. 9/22/23
Emotionally draining
Linda in PNW
This story is one of the authors' best, in my opinion. How could such a mistreated girl stay kind and loving is beyond me.
Angeles
This story got me angry so many times. This captain was a disappointment, and the girl was excessively kind. However, it is a good story.
Joan Haste
A LibriVox Listener
this book il is an amazing book