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From the pioneer of modern tragic fiction comes a master reflection on Victorian society.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles, upon its original publication in 1891, largely scandalized Victorians, for its unfiltered criticism of social norms. The story follows the impoverished Tess, beginning when her father beckons her to claim kinship from the wealthy Mrs. D’Urberville. 

There, Tess meets the widow’s son, Alec D’Urberville, and falls victim to his predatory behavior, sending her down an ill-fated path. She finds hope in the good-natured Angel Clare, where she must decide to open up about her past—or suppress it. 

A young girl must navigate her coming of age in Victorian England, where secrets and scandals abound.

Growing up with her widowed father, doctor Mr. Gibson, has afforded seventeen-year-old Molly Gibson little freedom. And when a young man at her father’s practice takes an interest in Molly, she is sent away to live with family friends.

Meanwhile, Gibson remarries, and Molly returns to find a new mother and stepsister. Among her new sisters, Molly gains an unlikely ally, who opens her up to a new world. 

The closer the girl becomes, the more gossip seems to circulate about them! Will Molly be able to save her reputation and be with the man she loves? 

From the author of the classic, Madame Bovary, this is his final, unfinished novel. 

Parisian copy clerks, François Bouvard and Juste Pécuchet, quickly bond over their shared views, forming a lifelong friendship. So, when Bouvard inherits a vast fortune, the pair move to a country estate in Normandy together. There, they pursue their various intellectual interests, from agriculture to drama. 

But, as they continue to immerse themselves in their endeavors, Bouvard and Pécuchet become increasingly alienated from the surrounding town. Will the friends be able to find their purposes, even to the dismay of locals? 

With evocative themes of motherhood and war, the bestselling author of The Brimming Cup delivers another masterwork. 

Penelope grew up with a university professor father and a warm mother, surrounded by literature and the arts, particularly when accompanying her father on his sabbaticals in France. There, she picks up the language easily and wins the hearts of a French family. 

Years pass in the States, and Penelope must come to terms with the loss of her father. Back home, she unexpectedly finds love with Adrian Fort, and they have two children. But stability is short-lived when Adrian is called up for the First World War. 

The young couple, calling upon Penelope’s ties in France, makes a daring choice with far-reaching consequences.