Sylvia's Lovers

Gaskell's only historical novelElizabeth Gaskell's only historical novel, Sylvia's Lovers, is set in 1790 in the seaside town of Monkshaven (Whitby) where press-gangs wreak havoc by seizing young men for service in the Napoleonic wars. One of their victims is whaling harpooner, Charley Kinraid, whose charm and vivacity have captured the heart of Sylvia Robson. But Sylvia's devoted cousin, Philip Hepburn, hopes to marry her himself and, in order to win her, deliberately withholds crucial information - with devastating consequences. With its themes of suffering, unrequited love, and the clash between desire and duty, Sylvia's Lovers is one of the most powerfully moving of all Gaskell's novels, reputedly described by its author as 'the saddest story I ever wrote'.

Elizabeth Gaskell wrote much social and realist fiction during the nineteenth century, having attracted the attention of Dickens when she wrote for his journal Household WorksShirley Foster is a Senior Lecturer in English and American Literature at the University of Sheffield. She has published widely, notably on Victorian women's fiction, Edith Wharton and female travel literature.Shirley Foster is a Senior Lecturer in English and American Literature at the University of Sheffield. She has published widely, notably on Victorian women's fiction, Edith Wharton and female travel literature.

Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) wrote her first novel, MARY BARTON, in 1848 as a distraction from her sorrow at the death of her only son in infancy. It won the attention of Dickens and was followed by 5 other full-length novels as well as numerous short stories and novellas.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.