Shirley

Shirley was Charlotte Bronte’s second novel. It deals with class conflict, the role of the churches and the position of women in a period when society was changing fast. Industrialisation and the age of machines had arrived in the sleepy valleys of West Yorkshire, undermining cottage industry, employment prospects and living standards. The optimism and high hopes of a few contrasted sharply with the desperation and anger of the many. Desperate workers resorted to machine-breaking. King Ludd and his “demonic” troops stalked the land. A thoroughly good read from start to finish. Published in support of the Working Class Movement Library, 51 The Crescent Salford, M5 4WX.