“When timid and plain Catherine Sloper is courted by the dashing and determined Morris Townsend, her father, convinced that the young man is nothing more than a fortune-hunter, delivers an ultimatum: break off her engagement, or be stripped of her inheritance. Torn between her desire to win her father's love and approval and her passion for the only man who has ever declared his love for her, Catherine faces an agonising dilemma.” 

We had a lively discussion indeed, with a Devil’s Advocate and vastly differing opinions of the book.

Some saw things from Caroline's point of view, and others sided with her father. However all participants gained something from the discussion. 

We invite you to join us to read and discuss our next book.

The next book? The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles.

"At Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast, a young Victorian amateur paleontologist, Charles Smithson, is struck by a solitary figure standing at the far end of the Cobb, staring out to sea.

"It is Sarah Woodruff, known to the locals as 'poor Tragedy' since her apparent liaison with a French sailor who has since deserted her. Although Charles is already engaged to a young heiress, he is immediately beguiled and eventually infatuated with Sarah. 

"But Sarah is a disgraced woman, and their romance will defy all the stifling conventions of the Victorian age." 

Later we may watch the movie, with Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons in the leading roles.