The Last Chronicle of Barset

This sensitive depiction of an anguished, self-destructive man is the story of impoverished Reverend Josiah Crawley, who uses a large cheque to pay his debts and is accused of theft. The charge sends shockwaves through Barsetshire as its citizens become bitterly divided. Domineering Mrs Proudie, wife of the bishop, is convinced of Crawley's guilt and attempts to hound him out of his job, while his family stand by him and strive to maintain their dignity - even when the scandal threatens to destroy Crawley's sanity. This final volume is the darkest and most complex of all the Barsetshire novels. The sixth book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire.