Mary Barton – Elizabeth Gaskell

"The rich know nothing of the poor."

In the industrial city of Manchester, Mary Barton is the beautiful daughter of a staunch trade unionist. She is torn between the love of Jem Wilson, a steady working man, and the allure of Harry Carson, the wealthy son of a mill owner. When Harry is murdered, Jem is accused, and Mary must uncover the truth amidst the class warfare and poverty of the era.

Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Condition of England' novel is a powerful plea for empathy. It depicts the suffering of the working class with gritty realism and asks for reconciliation between masters and men.