North and South
- First published
- 1855
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"North and South" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a social novel published in 1854–55. When Margaret Hale is forced to leave her peaceful rural home in southern England for the industrial town of Milton, she confronts the harsh realities of the Industrial Revolution. She witnesses bitter clashes between mill owners and workers during the first strikes, and finds herself in conflict with John Thornton, a proud cotton-mill owner who scorns his laborers. The novel explores her evolving understanding of industrial society and her complicated relationship with Thornton.
- Didactic fiction
- Young women
- Bildungsromans
- Mothers and daughters
- Children of clergy
- Social classes
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #4276. North and South on Wikipedia.
