"Wives and Daughters" (1864–66) is Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, left unfinished at her death. Set in the provincial town of Hollingford, it follows Molly Gibson, the gentle daughter of a widowed doctor, whose life is disrupted when her father marries the vain and scheming Hyacinth Kirkpatrick. Molly forms a close bond with her stepsister Cynthia, though both become entangled in romantic complications involving the Hamley brothers, Roger and Osborne. With warmth and subtle irony, Gaskell explores themes of love, class, science, and women's identity in Victorian society. Celebrated for its psychological depth, the novel is often compared to Jane Austen's work.
