The Twelfth Hour (1907) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established
herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her
debut novel to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty,
Leverson's prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time
when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared
to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman,
remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Felicity,
Sylvia, and Savile Crofton all feel the pressure placed on upper-class
youths to marry wisely. At 25, Felicity appears to have found herself a
good husband, a man of wealth and social standing who on closer
appearance seems more interested in leisure than love. Determined not to
fall into a similarly unhappy marriage, her 20-year-old sister Sylvia
hopes to thwart her father's wish that she marry millionaire Mr.
Ridokanski. Although he is only 16, Eton student Savile is deeply in
love with a famous opera singer--from a distance--but also feels obliged
to entertain the affections of Dolly Clive, a girl his own age. Finding
company in their own unique miseries of the heart, the Crofton siblings
hatch a plan to achieve happiness for themselves, satisfaction for their
father, and whatever it is young people are meant to owe to society.
The Twelfth Hour is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada
Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Ada Leverson's The Twelfth Hour is a classic work of
British literature reimagined for modern readers.
