Discover a new way to read classics with Quick Read. This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter. - Reading time of the complete text: about 4 hours - Reading time of the summarized text: 6 minutes "Behind a Mask" is a novella written by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1866 under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard. The story is set in Victorian era Britain and follows Jean Muir, a deceitful governess who manipulates the wealthy Coventry family to obtain their love, respect, and fortune. The novella has become important in critical reinterpretation of Alcott's works and literary importance. Critics treat the novel as a version of the "Beauty and the Beast" trope, while others provide feminist critiques of the narrative. The dominant themes in the novella are the positive treatment of actresses, acting, and theatre, social class, and the attainment of agency. The story has been adapted as a musical and a dramatic adaptation.