Allan's Wife (1889) by H. Rider Haggard is an adventure novel narrated by the famed African hunter Allan Quatermain, recounting the early chapters of his life. After losing his parents, young Allan journeys into the unexplored interior of Africa, where he rescues Hendrika, a mysterious woman raised by baboons, and falls in love with Stella, the beautiful daughter of a recluse Scottish minister. Despite Hendrika's jealous obsession with Allan and her violent kidnapping of Stella, the couple happily marries. Their joy proves short-lived, however: Stella dies giving birth to their son, leaving Allan a grieving widower and setting the stage for his later adventures.
