Night and Day

The novel explores the social and romantic lives of two women: Katherine Hilbery, who is the granddaughter of a celebrated poet but is secretly fascinated by mathematics and astronomy and feels stifled by her privileged existence, and Mary Datchet, a women’s suffrage activist, who comes to realize that she does not need a man to feel fulfilled. Through these women, the novel explores issues relating to marriage, social class and the position of women in Edwardian society, and its reflections on identity remain relevant and thought-provoking today.