Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope

The first book in the political Palliser series, the novel deals with parliamentary politics, while concurrently devoting its pages to much more intricate issues. Presenting three parallel stories, the parliamentary novel draws its attention to three contrasting young women, who are beset with arduous decisions concerning courtship and marriage. Additionally, the novel covers topics including women in conventional society and their discernment, while illustrating the tentative stages of marriage with all the attributes of sacrifice, compromise and temptation. The central plot of the novel begins with the introduction of Alice Vavasor, who after a rocky engagement and break up with her reckless cousin George, presently engages herself to the respectable, yet bland countryman John Grey. However, Alice fails to commit to her fiancé, and while on a trip to Switzerland with her cousin Kate, who is also George’s sister, she gives in to her cousin’s persuasion and jilts John and renews her e