Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “Lorna Doone, a Romance of Exmoor”, a novel published in 1869 and written by English author Richard Doodridge Blackmore. Snoozecast first read this one back in 2020.

This book is based on a group of historical characters set in the late 17th century. John Ridd is the son of a farmer who is murdered by a member of the Doone clan. The Doone’s were once noble but now outlaws. John falls in love with a girl named Lorna who turns out to be from this very clan he loathes.  

The backdrop of "Lorna Doone" is the rugged and isolated region of Exmoor in England. This setting plays a crucial role in the novel, influencing the characters' lives and shaping the plot's dramatic events. Blackmore's vivid descriptions of the landscape transport readers to a world of windswept moors, treacherous bogs, and hidden valleys, adding a layer of atmosphere and suspense to the narrative.

Lorna Doone is also a brand of rectangular shortbread cookies you may find in the grocery store today. Introduced in 1912, it was possibly named after the main character in tonight’s episode, but no record exists as to the exact motivation behind the name. The association with the romantic and adventurous heroine of the classic novel likely added a touch of allure and nostalgia to the cookie brand, which originated from an Irish-American bakery in Chicago, Illinois.