This novel was written in the late 1800's, so I was somewhat leery of its readability, but I found it quite readable, and a highly enjoyable story.

Having been written in the era in which it was set,1880, I felt made it more realistic.

The story centers around a widow, Mrs. Winstanley, and her 3 daughters. They have the lineage to be "ladies" but not the financial means.

In 1880 England, the "new woman" was just emerging--women who wanted other options than marrying for security.

Mrs. Winstanley and two of her daughters, Thomasina and Eva, however, are bent on finding security the old customary way--by marriage to "suitable" gentlemen, foregoing love on the part of the young women.

Perdita, however, is the rebel of the family, she wants to have something useful to do in the way of an occupation until true love appears. Perdita's clumsy honesty threatens her mother, Mrs. Winstanley's carefully laid plans and leds to considerable dissension between this middle daughter, her mother & her two sisters.

The oddest thing about the book, to me, was the fact that Deborah T. Meem, who edited and I assume had a great deal to do with bringing it back into print--severely critiques the author, Eliza Lynn Linton. Ms. Meem claims Ms. Linton did not understand herself. Perhaps Linton didn't understand herself, but I don't think Ms. Meem understood Linton either.

The opinion I garnered was that Eliza Lynn Linton was not necessarily the hypocite and foe of women's rights Ms. Meem accuses her of being, but rather that Ms. Linton did not approve of radicalism, and believed marriage should be based on love.