Cranford

An English novel published in 1853. Cranford is a small country town where nearly every house is kept by ladies, often poor, who never speak of money. The narrator, Mary Smith, who comes from the large town nearby, makes long stays with Miss Matty Jenkyns, the gentle and timid daughter of the late rector. Visit after visit, we meet a cow dressed in flannel, a proposal refused long ago, a brother who went to sea in his youth, a fear of burglars that spreads through the whole town, and then the failure of the bank that holds Miss Matty’s small savings. A funny and tender book about quiet kindness and mutual help.