Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 - 1865), was a Victorian British writer. Her novels are fascinating to historians because they offer detailed portraits of people from every social class and she uses colloquialisms of the period. Of course, her books are also loved by a far wider audience for their moving stories, powerful relationships, social concern and the exploration of male authority. Her six novels are contained within two volumes: In Volume One: Mary Barton, Cranford, Ruth and North and South In Volume Two: Sylvia's Lovers and Wives and Daughters