It only took me 24 hours, much of it tied up in a hotel room under strict doctor's orders to stay put, to read "The Robber's Cave" by A.L.O.E. My copy is published by Lamplighter Books. Having purchased a dozen or so Lamplighter titles, I figured I should read them. Yes, they look nice sitting around the house, but for months and months I passed them by. Fortunately, I'm on a reading binge and plan to read as many as time allows.

A.L.O.E. is the pseudonym for Charlotte Maria Tucker. A.L.O.E. is an acronym for "A Lady of England", for she was indeed English, daughter of Henry St George Tucker, a man of considerable social standing. Ms. Tucker was a missionary to India and had a great heart for evangelism. A deep love for the Lord is apparent in this work, for the heart-wrenching interpersonal drama between the characters in "Robber's Cave" is grounded on the eternal reward of a life devoted to God's unfailing love.

The story follows a young Englishman, Horace Cleveland, a prideful, arrogant, foolish fellow of great learning and boldness. Horace and his mother are abducted by a band of Italian robbers and given 7 days to live, pending the outcome of Horace's mother's errand to bribe the ringleader's brother out of prison. Horace is kept for ransom where he meets a bawdy, utterly sinful rabble of filthy criminals. All but one. A curious relationship is initiated by Raphael, and Horace begins a transformation.

Ms. Tucker masterfully weaves a tale of regeneration, undying love, and repentance as the seven days pass by, culminating in a rich and heart gripping climax. The tale is rife with symbolism and Biblical parallels. The message of the Gospel of Christ is clear, with several devoted lives intimately revealed. As I went through the book, I found myself thinking on many occasions "Whoah, that would make an excellent quote all by itself!"

This is a deeply rewarding read. I have to agree with this edition's editor, Mark Hamby, that this story will deeply affect anyone with a heart for Christ.

The original version, published in 1862 and titled "The Light in the Robber's Cave", is available scanned on Google Books, but much more comfortable to read in hand. The Lamplighter re-issue also features useful footnotes. ( )