Shirley by Charlotte Brontë (1848)

Shirley is a novel by Charlotte Brontë, published in 1849. It is set in Yorkshire in the period of the Napoleonic Wars, 1811–1812. The novel tells the story of two wealthy and independent women, Shirley Keeldar and Caroline Helstone, and their contrasting lives. Shirley is the wealthy heiress of Fieldhead, a large estate in Yorkshire, while Caroline is the orphaned niece of the local vicar. Shirley is strong-willed and independent, while Caroline is meek and dependent. The novel follows the two women as they experience love, loss, and friendship. Shirley falls in love with Robert Moore, a wealthy mill-owner, but their relationship is complicated by the arrival of his cousin, Louis Moore. Caroline is in love with Robert, but is too shy to express her feelings. The novel also follows the lives of the other characters in the village, including the workers at Robert's mill, and the local gentry. It explores themes of class, gender, and religion, and examines the effects of the Napoleonic Wars on the people of Yorkshire.

By Charlotte Brontë · First published 1848 · Genre: Romance, Realism, Social Criticism · 37 chapters

Contents

More by Charlotte Brontë