Mr. Harrison’s Confessions

This prequel to Cranford, a favorite novel of mine, is lovely and witty. It's also a little known Gaskell classic, with all the period detail and distinctively drawn characters she's known for. Surrounded by the comforts of his well-kept home, country doctor William Harrison is prevailed upon by his longtime friend Charles, a bachelor, to dispense some advice on the wooing and winning of women’s affections. So begins the fascinating and varied recollections of one of Gaskell's best-loved characters. Lured to rural Duncombe by the promise of a partnership in a country practice, William finds himself trapped in claustrophobic provincial life where society is apparently presided over by the scheming of a set of under-occupied middle-aged women.