Clara Hopgood

"Clara Hopgood" by Mark Rutherford is a story about two sisters, Clara and Madge Hopgood, growing up in the restrictive town of Fenmarket in the late 1800's. The book looks at their lives, especially how they try to find love and be themselves when society wants them to just be quiet, uneducated wives. Clara is more quiet and thinks deeply, while Madge is more outgoing but has a harder time dealing with what people expect from her. The girls are encouraged to gain an education by their father, which helps them to challenge the limits placed on women at the time. The story highlights their relationships with each other and with other characters such as Frank Palmer, which causes struggles as they try to balance what they want with what society demands. Their journey shows how hard it was for women to be independent and educated at the time.