Shirley

«Shirley» is a passionate description of the conflict between generations, genders, and social classes, where love stories are closely intertwined with harsh reality.

Manufacturer Robert Moore is about to marry the wealthy heiress Shirley, although his heart belongs to the impoverished Caroline, and Shirley herself is in love with Robert's brother, a poor teacher. Will the ending be happy? Charlotte Brontë wrote «Shirley» during difficult times: at that time, her brother Branwell and two sisters — Emily and Anne — died of tuberculosis.

The novel was published in 1849 under the pseudonym Currer Bell. The tumultuous success of the book forced the author to reveal her true identity and attracted the attention of the literary circles in London.

In her novel, Charlotte addressed the early century, to the Luddite uprisings — participants of spontaneous protests against the introduction of machinery during the Industrial Revolution in England.