I'm going to call it, this book has officially made it into my top 5!
I love Molly, Roger, Mr Gibson, Mrs Hamley, Lady Harriet and so many others, The cast of minor characters is also like nothing else, who can forget Miss Phoebe, Miss Browning and Lord and Lady Cumnor? and of course I think Mrs Gibson is one of the best humourous villains in all of literature.
From the first paragraph to last moment we get to spend with these characters, it is all absolutely delightful.

(Please note, Cynthia did not make it onto my love, or even like, list of characters.) ( )

If I had known this very long book was not finished I wouldn't have read it.

As with many novels of Mrs. Gaskell's time, including her contemporary, Charles Dicken’s, this novel was initially published as a serial. It no doubt pleased many a “Cornhill Magazine” (“Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the publisher's address at 65 Cornhill in London” --Wikipedia) reader from 1864 through 1866. In fact, many of Elizabeth Gaskells novels, though not this one, appeared in Charles Dickens' weekly 2 penny serial publication, “Household Words” which he established March 30th, 1850 and continued through 1859. (http://www.djo.org.uk/household-words.html )
I particularly love the sweet, generous nature of the primary character, Molly, in this novel, which shines through all her relationships, especially in her patience with her social-climbing step-mother.
Sadly, Mrs. Gaskell died slightly before finishing this story, but partly because she apparently shared elements of her intended conclusion with others, the ending satisfies.
I read some of this novel at the online “Gutenberg Project,” but primarily listened to Nadia May’s narration, which, as always, is fabulous.
( )

Ultimately Jane Austen outsold ( )

Gaskell shines when it comes to the supporting characters in this novel of Molly Gilbert. Molly is probably the weakest character in my mind, since she is so "good" that she actually loses any interest in the reader compared to all the other supporting characters. Her father Dr Gilbert, and especially Cynthia are characters that you will come to enjoy throughout the book, not to mention Miss Browning, her sister Phoebe, and Lady Harriet. There are layers and layers to their stories. Hyacinth "Clare" doesn't have much depth, but she is always a sense of interest in counter foible to Molly.
Warning. Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing this serial book. That being said, you can easily tell where it was heading. I imagine there were only two or three more chapters to finish the story. ( )