Aurora Leigh (1857)

Aurora Leigh is a novel in verse written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and published in 1857. The story follows the life of Aurora Leigh, a young woman who is determined to become a successful writer and poet. Along the way, she faces many challenges, including the death of her parents, a difficult relationship with her cousin, and the pressures of society’s expectations for women.The novel is divided into nine books, each of which explores a different aspect of Aurora’s life. Book One introduces us to Aurora and her family, and sets the stage for the rest of the story. In Book Two, Aurora moves to London to pursue her writing career, and meets several influential people who help her along the way.In Book Three, Aurora falls in love with a young man named Romney Leigh, who is also a writer. However, their relationship is complicated by their different social backgrounds and beliefs. In Book Four, Aurora rejects Romney’s proposal and decides to focus on her writing instead.In Book Five, Aurora travels to Italy, where she meets a young girl named Marian Erle who has been abandoned by her family. Aurora takes Marian under her wing and helps her to start a new life. In Book Six, Aurora returns to England and becomes involved in the women’s suffrage movement.In Book Seven, Aurora receives news that Romney has married another woman. She is heartbroken, but continues to write and publish her work. In Book Eight, Aurora receives a letter from Marian, who is now dying. Aurora rushes to Italy to be with her, and learns that Marian has left her a large inheritance.In the final book, Aurora reflects on her life and her accomplishments. She realizes that she has achieved her dreams of becoming a successful writer, but also recognizes the importance of love and human connection. The novel ends with Aurora looking forward to the future, and the possibilities it holds.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.