Written amidst great personal tragedy in Charlotte Bronte's life, her second novel after Jane Eyre looks toward a complicated, but brighter future. Set in a rapidly industrializing England in a time of social and economic unrest, Shirley bridges two very different worlds. Caroline Helstone, reeling from the loss of her father, abandoned by her mother, has been doomed to a life of poverty. To make matters worse, the only man she has feelings for, Robert Moore, must marry into wealth or risk losing his family mill. Robert proposes to Shirley, a woman set free by her inheritance and newly-found wealth and independence. The path towards matrimony winds as people seek happiness and enlightenment on the dawn of an exciting-and anxious-tomorrow. Part compelling romance, part searing social commentary, Shirley, following the tremendous success of Jane Eyre, is a revolutionary novel. Featuring an appendix of discussion questions, the Diversion Classics edition is ideal for use in book groups and classrooms.