Shirley

Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic Wars Yorkshire, the novel explores the uprisings in the textile industry while addressing themes of gender equality. The character Shirley, a strong female protagonist, contributed to the name becoming widely recognized for women, previously considered masculine. Charlotte Brontë, a prominent figure in English literature, crafted this classic, which remains relevant today. The modern edition includes a biography by G. K. Chesterton and an essay by Virginia Woolf on the Brontë family's home.