North and South

I watched the British miniseries North and South and just had to read the book.  Wives and Daughters which is considered Gaskell's best is more fun.  This book has more of a social message and is different from that book but just as good.  It's also a romance. This deals with mill workers who are on strike.  Margaret Hale, the main character of the book, feels for the workers and even becomes friends with a worker Bessy.  Her father tutors the owner of the mill the hard-hearted Mr. Thornton.   She hates him at first.  However, the two gradually fall in love.  There's an interesting subplot with Margaret's troubled brother but that is wrapped up by the end.  Gaskell is one of the more famous female authors of the 1800s.  I've got to read more of her and generally female authors from that time period.