My Lady Ludlow

Gaskell's works provide a rich exploration of Victorian society, capturing the experiences of various social classes, particularly the impoverished. Her marriage to a Unitarian minister and life in industrial Manchester influenced her storytelling, leading to significant novels like Mary Barton, Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters. Her keen observations make her narratives valuable for both literary enthusiasts and social historians, while her biography of Charlotte Brontë showcases her literary connections and insights into her contemporaries.