Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Elizabeth and Ruth - cover

Elizabeth and Ruth

Livi Michael

Publisher: Salt

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Manchester 1849. Elizabeth Gaskell, newly famous author of Mary Barton, visits a young Irish prostitute in Manchester's New Bailey prison. The girl is about to be discharged onto the Manchester streets, where her old life of poverty and violence await her. Elizabeth is determined to help her, but few people will employ an ex-prostitute from prison. In desperation, Elizabeth writes to Charles Dickens for advice.
Inspired by the real correspondence between Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens, Elizabeth and Ruth tells the unforgettable story of two very different women whose lives become inextricably intertwined.
Available since: 02/09/2026.
Print length: 304 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor - cover

    The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor

    Patricia Crisafulli

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    "Amid a mountain of rain-soaked donations to the Ohnita Harbor Public Library rummage sale, Gabriela Domenici finds a small box that contains an odd-looking cross. The carved center turns out to be ivory, and a clue links the cross to Catherine of Siena, a medieval saint. Gabriela turns to her expertise as an authenticator of historic documents to lead the quest to discover the truth about this mysterious object. But the cross isn’t the only secret in town: first, a beloved Ohnita Harbor resident is found floating in the harbor; then, someone else is murdered on the library lawn. As Gabriela races to solve the mystery of the cross, she discerns between infatuation and what could be the start of true love. All the while, she must stay one step ahead of the danger that slowly encircles her."
    Show book
  • Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger - cover

    Elmer Kelton's The Familiar...

    Steve Kelton, John Bradshaw

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Hewey Calloway had intended to pass straight through Durango, Colorado, en route to visit a friend several miles northeast of the city. He had left his home range about a year before, with a herd of young horses. It was supposed to be a relatively straightforward affair; deliver the horses, collect the payment, and return home with the money. Things got out of hand, however, and there he was in Durango a year later with plans to go north rather than south. Oh, well, he thought, he had always wanted to see new country. 
     
     
     
    It isn't long before his travels lead him to a cabin on a rainy night. There he meets a young man, sick as a dog, who weakly tries to send him off. And for good reason: the man has smallpox, and soon enough, Hewey catches the deadly disease. The man cares for him in turn, and it's just as he is feeling better that the man disappears. The next morning a Pinkerton detective turns up with posse, looking for a wanted bank robber. 
     
     
     
    As he travels north, Hewey seems to run in with both the young man who tended to him, as well as the detective. But something seems off about the Pinkerton detective, and Hewey keeps his mouth shut. When he reunites with his friend Hanley, they do everything they can to get to the bottom of the mystery that threatens both theirs and this young man's life.
    Show book
  • Deliverance: A Justice Belstrang Mystery - Justice Belstrang Mysteries Book 3 - cover

    Deliverance: A Justice Belstrang...

    John Pilkington

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    England, 1618. 
     
     
    At his manor of Thirldon, ex-Justice Belstrang - still at loggerheads with his old rival Justice Standish - receives devastating news: King James intends to purchase the estate for his favourite, the Marquis of Buckingham – and Belstrang must comply. 
     
     
    In the ensuing turmoil, while his son-in-law George petitions the King on his behalf, Belstrang receives a plea from a dying friend, Sir Richard Mountford, to visit him at Foxhill Manor. To take his mind off his troubles Belstrang goes - and discovers things are not so simple. 
     
     
    Sir Richard is not dying, but desperate. His brother John has been killed in an explosion at the family’s iron foundry, down in the remote Forest of Dean. They cast cannons for the Royal Armouries: a privileged and lucrative business. But Sir Richard does not believe John’s death was an accident. 
     
     
    Meanwhile, Mountford's cold-hearted son Francis treats him as an invalid. He fears things are being kept from him - and implores Belstrang to investigate. 
     
     
    The mystery deepens when a forester who was seen talking to Belstrang is murdered. 
     
     
    Only after a violent confrontation on the bleak salt-marshes does the truth begin to unfold - and its implications reach far beyond England’s shores. 
     
     
    This time Belstrang must follow the trail to a very bitter end, which could be the making of him - or cause his undoing.
    Show book
  • Under the Light of the Italian Moon: Book Summary & Analysis - cover

    Under the Light of the Italian...

    Alexander Pike

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    This content is an independent and unofficial summary created for informational and educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the original author or publisher. All rights to the original work belong to its respective copyright holders. This summary is not intended to substitute the original book, but to offer a concise overview and interpretation of its main ideas.
     
    Set against the haunting beauty of rural Northern Italy, Under the Light of the Italian Moon is a stirring tale of love, courage, and female resilience during two of history’s darkest chapters—World War I and World War II.
     
    Rachele, the strong-willed daughter of a renowned midwife, grows up under the shadow of patriarchal tradition and fascist control in the small town of Fonzaso. As she learns to deliver life into a world bent on destruction, she dreams of a different future—one defined not by fear, but by love and freedom. When Giuseppe, a boy from her village who emigrated to America, returns to her life, their bond reignites amidst the rise of Mussolini and the storms of war.
    Show book
  • Oil! - A novel - cover

    Oil! - A novel

    Anonymous

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Oil! by Upton Sinclair is a powerful novel exploring the American oil industry’s rise and its corrupting influence on wealth, power, and morality. Set in early 20th-century California, the story follows James Arnold Sr., an ambitious oilman, and his idealistic son, Bunny, whose values clash with his father’s ruthless capitalism. As Bunny becomes aware of social injustice, labor exploitation, and corporate greed, he embraces progressive causes and workers’ rights. Inspired by the infamous Teapot Dome scandal, the novel blends family drama, political intrigue, and social critique. A gripping exposé of greed and idealism, Oil! reveals Sinclair’s passionate call for economic justice and moral integrity in an era of unchecked industrialism.
    Show book
  • 3 Christmas Stories - Set on Christmas Eve - A trio of Xmas themed stories for the holiday season - cover

    3 Christmas Stories - Set on...

    O Henry, Willa Cather, Louisa...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    There is something about the number 3.    
     
    The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.   
     
    Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois.  It seems good things usually come in threes. 
     
    Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating. 
     
    From their pens to your your ears.
    Show book