Hester (Oxford World's Classics)

The Aging Catherine Vernon, Jilted In Her Youth, Has Risen To Power In A Man's World As Head Of The Family Bank. She Thinks She Sees Through Everyone And Rules Over A Family Of Dependants With Knowing Cynicism. But There Are Two People In Redborough Who Resist Her. One Is Hester, A Young Relation With A Personality As Strong As Catherine's, And As Determined To Find A Role For Herself. The Other Is Edward, Catherine's Favourite, Whom She Treats Like A Son. Conflict Between Young And Old Is Inevitable, And In Its Depiction Of The Complex Relationships That Develop Between The Three Principal Characters, Hester Is A Masterpiece Of Psychological Realism. In Exploring The Difficulty Of Understanding Human Nature, It Is Also A Compulsive Story Of Financial And Sexual Risk-taking That Mounts Towards A Searing Climax.--back Cover. Margaret Oliphant ; Edited By Philip Davis And Brian Nellist. Includes Bibliographical References (pages Xxviii-xxix).