My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell is a long novella. It first appeared in the magazine Household Words in 1858, and was republished in Round the Sofa in 1859, with framing passages added at the start and end. It recounts the daily lives of the widowed Lady Ludlow of Hanbury and the spinster Miss Galindo, and their caring for other single women and girls. It is also concerned with Lady Ludlow's man of business, Mr Horner, and a poacher's son named Harry Gregson whose education he provides for. With Cranford, The Last Generation in England and Mr. Harrison's Confessions, it was adapted for TV in 2007 as Cranford. This beloved novella offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women in the nineteenth century, particularly those who were widowed or unmarried. The lack of legal rights afforded to these women may come as a shock to contemporary readers, but Gaskell addresses the unique challenges they faced -- and often triumphed over -- with grace and keen insight.
