When her father leaves the Church, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice.

North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favourite classics.  It is, in essentials, a social narrative about industrialization with Milton-Northern being the main focus (based upon Manchester).  Its principal characters are well defined and, for me, highly interesting. The haughty Margaret Hale and the proud industrialist John Thornton come together in the most charming and believeable way. Each are strong willed which means the course of the relationship hits more than a few hurdles along the way – but, more important for me, is the degree to which each of these two people influence  the other – changing their beliefs, values and ultimately the course of their lives as a result.

It is a romance for those who, on principle, tend to avoid them. Far from “just a romance”  it has a strong agenda with a storyline touching on the themes of industrialisation, religion, politics and the changing position of women in marriage.

I enjoy the writing style of Elizabeth Gaskell but do appreciate that this novel on occasions suffers a little as a result of its serialisation (provided in chapters in Charles Dickens´s periodical `Household Words’ between 1854 – 1855). It does not detract from its readibility or its story – a character here or there is a little under-utilised perhaps.

The highlight of the book was the ending. Beautifully understated and very true to these proud and strong willed individuals.

[rating=5]