Helbeck of Bannisdale, Vol. 1

Helbeck of Bannisdale, Vol. 1 introduces a slow-burning conflict between religious absolutism and liberal thought in the secluded setting of northern England. Laura Fountain, a rationalist and the daughter of a freethinker, finds herself in the orbit of Alan Helbeck, a stern and ascetic landowner devoted to Catholic orthodoxy. As their emotional connection deepens, so too does the philosophical rift between them, turning affection into inner turmoil. The novel unfolds through intense psychological observation and richly rendered landscapes, examining the sacrifices demanded by faith, love, and personal truth. Mrs. Humphry Ward’s work offers a powerful study of moral tension and cultural transformation at the close of the Victorian era.Mary Augusta Ward, née Arnold; (1851-1920) was a British novelist, who established an organization for working and teaching among the poor and was one of the founders of the Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League in 1908.