The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

As the new tenants of Wildfell Hall, beautiful, reclusive Helen Graham and her young son find themselves the objects of gossip and scandal. Gilbert Markham has formed a deep attachment to Helen. He does everything in his power to staunch the rumours that she is an immoral woman with a past she needs to conceal; but he himself does not know the truth. Gradually coming to trust Gilbert, Helen reveals her past life to him: a miserable marriage in which she was tormented by her adulterous, drunken husband, Huntingdon, who mocked her religion and tried to corrupt their child. But despite her bid for independence, Helen is still in Huntingdon's power, and only death can end her terror. A novel of surprising modernity, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall shocked Anne Bront�'s contemporaries in its outspoken treatment of the issue of women's equality and it is unforgettable for its passionate sincerity and psychological honesty.