Amos Barton - Eliot, George

As New; newly installed as vicar of Shepperton Church, the Revd Amos Barton is quick to learn that change is not on his parishioners' agenda - and being a rather middling man, his powers of persuasion are somewhat lacking. The parish is in danger of becoming a hothouse of gossip and prejudice; there is, however, one subject on which everyone is in agreement: that his wife, the angelic Milly, is a pure delight, an entirely virtuous woman who would never turn a soul away. But this, too, soon becomes fuel for the parson's critics as Milly opens their home to a 'desperate' woman, and at a time when there is scarcely enough to feel her own children. The reaction of the congregation is altogether harsh - but must surely be regretted when tragedy begins to unfold before them. Published as part of George Eliot's fictional debut, Amos Barton is a moving, heartfelt work, containing the same warm humour and sharp observations that mark so many of her later works.
As New
Soft cover
Hesperus Press
2003
London, UK