The Poor Clare and Curious, if True

by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her work is of interest to social historians as well as readers of literature. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters, each having been adapted for television by the BBC.

The Poor Clare
A gothic short story from the hugely popular Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell. The story is narrated by an anonymous lawyer who has been hired to track down the heir to a sizeable fortune and finds himself caught up in the plight of the lonely Bridget Fitzgerald. Bridget’s daughter Mary disappeared many years ago and now her beloved dog, her only companion, has been found dead. What follows is a haunting story of curses, witchcraft, and revenge.

Curious, if True
"Curious, if True" (Strange Tales) is a collection of five dark Victorian tales of suspense, horror, mood and mystery by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, published variously between 1852 and 1861. Gaskell unleashes her fascination with the macabre and uncanny through these short fictions that provide outlets for a strange and powerful imagination.

188 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2023

About the author

See Elizabeth Gaskell which was the name under which she was published during her lifetime.