"Wives and Daughters" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is an incomplete yet celebrated story from the 1800s, focusing on Molly Gibson, a young woman in the small English town of Hollingford, as she grows up surrounded by social expectations. The book begins with Molly's excitement about attending her first party at the grand Cumnor Towers, showcasing her youthful innocence as she proudly wears a bonnet she made herself. This event introduces readers to the social world of Hollingford, influenced by the local nobility, Lord and Lady Cumnor. The early chapters blend moments of youthful wonder with insights into the rigid social structure, setting the scene for Molly’s personal evolution and the complicated relationships that will impact her future, all seen through her trusting and straightforward point of view.
Wives and Daughters
By Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
In a world of lords and ladies, a naive young woman takes her first steps into adulthood, unaware of the complex relationships and social expectations that await.
Summary
About the AuthorElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–1853), North and South (1854–1855), and Wives and Daughters (1864–1866), all of which were adapted for television by the BBC.
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–1853), North and South (1854–1855), and Wives and Daughters (1864–1866), all of which were adapted for television by the BBC.
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