Madrona, Etc

Madrona, Etc by Daniel Thomas Callaghan. Madrona, Etc offers a juxtaposition of verse and drama, centering on a nineteenth?century revival of classic romance. The centerpiece Madr ona recounts a Sierra?country tale in which Brian Fitzhubert, a brutal woodcutter, and his daughter Madrona form an unlikely bond with Werner Mayne, a health?seeker from the city. Through their courtship in a wild valley near Sonoma, Madrona’s spirit longs for freedom from harsh home life, while Werner’s urban world tempts with gentler promises. When romance is discovered, a bitter conflict with her father ensues, and tragedy unfolds as jealousy, miscommunication, and a perilous choice between love and duty lead to Madrona’s death and her reconciliation with faith. The volume also contains Calderon, a five?act tragedy dramatizing court intrigue in Madrid. Don Calderon and a queen’s faction scheme to control a royal succession, while a liberated Beatrice becomes entangled in danger and political peril. Power, loyalty, passion, and conscience drive the plot toward a dramatic conclusion in which Calderon confronts his own past and fate. The edition preserves these works as a window onto romantic tragedy and political melodrama of earlier eras.