North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. © 1998 Wordsworth Editions. Originally Published 1854. ISBN 1853260932. Paperback. Classic Fiction. 448 pages. $4.99 US. [ Purchase ]
Synopsis
Set in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, Margaret Hale’s life is turned upside-down when her father gives up his parish and moves their family to Milton, a city in the north of England. Milton is so much different than everything Margaret had been used to – going from the south of England to the harsher northern part of the country, where the people all depend on the cotton mills for their jobs – and she and her family have a very tough time adjusting. Margaret’s father takes up teaching, and one of his students is the proud Mr. Thornton, owner and manager of a local mill.
In a story not unlike Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Margaret and Mr. Thornton soon discover they have feelings for each other, but pride, bruised egos and major misunderstandings seem to be in the way of their ever forming a more lasting attachment.
