Wives and Daughters

Molly Gibson has her quiet life turned over when her widowed father, a respected country doctor, marries again and brings home a polished, self-serving stepmother and a charming, unreliable stepsister named Cynthia. Around them move the Hamleys of the local squire’s family, including Roger, a steady young naturalist whom Molly comes to love from the sidelines. Gaskell watches the small English town of Hollingford with a patient, affectionate eye, tracing courtships, snobberies, and the slow growth of a generous girl into a clear-headed woman. Serialized from 1864 and left almost finished at the author’s sudden death, it is widely regarded as her richest and most mature novel. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB.