The Moorland Cottage: A Victorian Tale of Family and Character

By Elizabeth Gaskell

Book Overview

Elizabeth Gaskell's gentle Victorian tale explores family devotion, moral growth, and the quiet dignity of rural life in nineteenth-century England.

In The Moorland Cottage, Elizabeth Gaskell tells the story of the Browne family and their modest home on the edge of the English moors. Following the early death of their mother, the two sisters Maggie and Edith grow up under the care of their affectionate but impractical father. As the girls mature, differences in temperament and circumstance lead them along very different paths.

Maggie's patience, humility, and steady kindness contrast with Edith's pursuit of wealth and social advancement. Through changing fortunes, misunderstandings, and moments of moral testing, Gaskell traces the consequences of these choices with warmth and sympathy.

Originally published in the mid-nineteenth century, the story reflects Gaskell's characteristic concern for domestic life, character, and moral responsibility. The Moorland Cottage remains a charming example of Victorian fiction, combining a quietly moving narrative with Gaskell's perceptive portrayal of family relationships and rural society.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1604594675
• ISBN13: 9781604594676
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Wilder Publications, Incorporated
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Another work of Mrs. Gaskell's that is well worth a read

If you enjoyed Cranford you will enjoy this sweet little novella. It is the story of Maggie Browne, a truly kind, sweet, and totally unselfish girl who has a brother, who is the complete opposite of her in personality. Although Maggie knows her brother for what he is,she still loves him, and I am sure you can imagine the conflict,sacrifice, and pain, Maggie will face because of her brother's selfishness. Maggie and her brother's relationship reminded me much of Molly and Cynthia's in "Wives and Daughters," another of Mrs. Gaskell's stories. Mrs. Gaskell never finshed "Wives and Daughters", and so we do not know for sure that Molly is rewarded with the love of the man she loves. However in in this novella, Maggie is eventually rewarded with the devotion of the man she loves, in spite of her brother. I understand this story will be woven into the new Cranford adaptation sequel. It has the caliber of Cranford, Mr. Harrison's Confession, and My Lady Ludlow, a good choice to be sure!