The Children of the Abbey

The Children of the Abbey is a novel by the Irish romantic novelist Regina Maria Roche. It first appeared in 1796, in London in 4 volumes, and related the tale of Amanda and Oscar Fitzalan, two siblings robbed of their rightful inheritance by a forged will. The book contains many standard Gothic elements (old mansions, a haunted abbey) in the context of a sentimental novel. It was Roche's third and best-known novel, and was a major commercial success, remaining in print for most of the 19th century. The book is referenced in a number of other works, including Jane Austen's novel Emma, Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery, and Arabella by Georgette Heyer.