Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810 - 1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. She is perhaps best known for her biography of Charlotte Brontë. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. Other Books of Gaskell: - Curious, If True: Strange Tales (1859) - Wives and Daughters (1864) - Cranford (1851) - A Dark Night's Work (1863) - My Lady Ludlow (1858) - Sylvia's Lovers (1863) - Mary Barton (1848)