The Farringdons

"The Farringdons" by Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler, is a story set in a late 19th-century town, focusing on the Farringdon family and their ironworks business. Sisters Maria and Anne Farringdon inherit both the business and the social responsibilities that come with it, but deal with them differently; Maria embraces her duty with strength, while Anne struggles with living up to the family name. The tale explores themes of love, obligation, and what society expects from people, all set against a backdrop of their religious Methodist upbringing. Elisabeth, an adopted cousin, hopes to find her place within the family, while struggling with her own feelings of insecurity. The contrasts between the industrialized part of town and the pretty countryside mirrors the contrasts within the characters themselves, setting the stage for complicated relationships and conflicting desires as they try to find their own paths.