Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) was a major English 18th century writer. He had been an established printer and publisher for most of his life when, at the age of 51, he wrote his first novel and immediately became one of the most popular and admired writers of his time. In 1733 he wrote The Apprentice's Vade Mecum, urging young men like himself to be diligent and self-denying. Written in response to the Epidemick Evils of the Present Age, the text is best known for its condemnation of popular forms of entertainment including theatres, taverns and gambling. He is best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), Clarissa Harlowe; or, The History of a Young Lady (1748) and Sir Charles Grandison (1753). The popularity of Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded was mainly due to the effective technique of revealing the story through letters written by the protagonist. Clarissa Harlowe; or, The History of a Young Lady has generally been the most highly regarded by critics; in it, Richardson uses the epistolary form with great effectiveness, creating characters that are psychologically convincing while reflecting on some of the most important moral questions of the 18th century.
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Great Expectations meets Grantchester in this story of love and lies, secrets and second chances, set in Edwardian England. Beaten and left for dead in the English countryside, clergyman and reformer Tom Cross is rescued and nursed back to health by Miranda and Simon Thorne, reclusive siblings who seem to have as many secrets as he does. Tom has spent years helping the downtrodden in London while lying to everyone he meets, but now he’s forced to slow down and confront his unexamined life. Miranda, a skilled artist, is haunted by her painful past and unable to imagine a future. Tom is a welcome distraction from her troubles, but she’s determined to relegate him to her fantasy world, sensing that any real relationship with him would be more trouble than it’s worth. Besides, she has sworn to remain devoted to someone she’s left behind. When Tom returns to London, his life begins to unravel as he faces the consequences of both his affair with a married woman and his abusive childhood. When his secrets catch up with him and his reputation is destroyed, he realizes that Miranda is the only person he trusts with the truth. What he doesn’t realize is that even if she believes him and returns his feelings, he can’t free her from the shackles of her past.
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