When a mysterious young widow arrives at Wildfell Hall, with her young son and a servant, rumours abound. She lives there in strict seclusion under the assumed name Helen Graham and soon becomes a social outcast. Refusing to believe anything scandalous about her, Gilbert Markham befriends Helen and discovers her past. What follows is a journey of truth, love, and reconciliation.
Probably the most shocking of the Bronts' novels, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an instant and phenomenal success. The depiction of marital strife and women's professional identification has a strong moral message mitigated by the author's belief in universal salvation. Most critics now consider The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to be one of the first feminist novels. In leaving her husband and taking away their child, Helen violates not only social conventions but also the early 19th century English law.
This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.