Ruth

In her compassionate and honest portrait of a "fallen woman", Elizabeth Gaskell confronted prevailing views about sin and illegitimacy.

Ruth Hilton is an orphaned young seamstress who catches the eye of a gentleman, Henry Bellingham, who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. When she loses her job and home, he offers her comfort and shelter, only to cruelly desert her soon after. Nearly dead with grief and shame, Ruth is offered the chance of a new life among people who give her love a...