Cranford. by: Elizabeth Gaskell ( the best-known of Elizabeth Gaskell's NOVEL )

Cranford (1851), the best-known of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels, first appeared as a serial in the magazine Household Words, edited by Charles Dickens. The story revolves around the town of Cranford, home to Mary Smith and her friends, the sisters Miss Matty and Miss Deborah. Life changes when their long-lost brother Peter returns after a long absence.