Originally published in 1906, Queen of the Rushes is a novel by Allen Raine that centres around the lives of two orphans, Gwenifer and Gildas, who lose their parents when a boat they are travelling on sinks. Left dumb by the tragic incident, Gwenifer becomes besotted with Gildas, who in turn falls for the granddaughter of one of the tenants of his inherited farm. Raine’s eighth novel, Queen of the Rushes is generally hailed as her best work. Anne Adalisa Beynon Puddicombe (1836-1908), also known under her pen name Allen Raine, was a Welsh best-selling writer whose novels had sold over two million copies by 1912. Other notable works by this author include: Hearts of Wales (1905) and Neither Storehouse nor Barn (1908). Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this classic novel now in a new edition complete with an introductory biography by Daniel Lleufer Thomas.