023 - Chapter 22

Can starving children truly find gratitude in the education they receive when their pleas for food are met with indifference? This poignant psychological novel delves into that very question. Lady Lashmore epitomizes the upper class, managing her household with an iron fist while expressing disdain for the impoverished factory workers just ten miles away. However, everything shifts when her son, Lord Lashmore, falls in love with a woman from the working class. This transformative experience opens his eyes to the true needs of the less fortunate, leading him on a journey of maturity, empathy, and a reevaluation of what truly matters in life. Blending elements of coming-of-age and romance, this tale also tackles themes of prejudice and social change, illuminating how the younger generation begins to perceive social class in a new light. Fans of Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell will find much to love in this novel, as will readers familiar with Mary Elizabeth Braddons other works. - Summary by Stav Nisser.