Widow Barnaby - Frances Milton Trollope

First published in 1839, Widow Barnaby is rightly considered to be one of Mrs Trollope's finest works. Giving the reader a glimpse into the social milieu of contemporary Bristol, Cheltenham and London, this novel showcases both the author's wit and her powers of observation; Trollope creates an affectionate caricature of the aristocratic world, while drawing its many flaws into the light. We follow the story of Widow Barnaby and her niece, Agnes, as they embark on an odyssey through the fashionable world, at the end of which, they hope, might await a husband. So popular was this novel in its day that the Widow was to reappear several times throughout the author's future works, but it was in this work that she really staked her claim to be one of literature's grandes dames.