Wives and Daughters

Originally published as a serial story, Wives and Daughters is told with an episodic narrative, following a young woman named Molly Gibson as she comes of age. Molly is the only child of a widowed doctor. Raised in an English provincial town, Molly’s childhood is filled with trips to aristocratic mansions and bonding experiences with her father. As she grows older however, men become more interested in her because of her attractive appearance. When Dr. Gibson discovers a creepy crush one of his apprentices has on his daughter, he sends her away to live with another family. Though she misses her father, Molly enjoys her life with the Hamley family. Treated as if she were their daughter, Molly grows very close with Mrs. Hamley and the youngest son, Roger. Meanwhile, as domestic drama unfolds at the Hamley’s, Dr. Gibson entertains the idea of remarrying. Thinking that another woman would have a good influence on Molly, Dr. Gibson decides to marry Miss Claire, who Molly had met