<p>Widely believed to be her masterpiece, Elizabeth Gaskell&rsquo;s &ldquo;Wives and Daughters&rdquo; was originally published serially in &ldquo;Cornhill Magazine&rdquo; between August 1864 and January 1866. The work, which was nearly finished at the time of Gaskell&rsquo;s death in 1865, was completed by Frederick Greenwood. The novel&rsquo;s heroine is Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed country doctor in a small town in England. Molly, lonely and motherless, is befriended by the Hamley family, who are landed gentry and therefore above Molly&rsquo;s station, as the daughter of a professional. After returning home to her father, Molly finds that he has remarried. While her new stepmother is petty and greedy, in sharp contrast to Molly&rsquo;s warmth, kindness and innocence, Molly finds a friend and confidant in her new stepsister Cynthia. &ldquo;Wives and Daughters&rdquo;, a classic 19th century romantic novel that follows the daily lives and romantic entanglements of Molly, Cynthia, and their family and friends; is an insightful examination of the constraints imposed by society between individuals of professional versus aristocratic social classes. In turns both heartbreaking and comic, Gaskell&rsquo;s novel will linger with readers long past the final page. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Adolphus W. Ward.</p>