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The Mrs Oliphant Library

The Mrs Oliphant Library

By: Mrs Margaret Oliphant
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Step within The Mrs Oliphant Library, where the lamp is lit, the curtains drawn, and the quiet voices of another century begin again. Here are novels of households and hearts, of provincial streets and church spires, of women’s wit, sorrow, duty, and courage; stories in which the ordinary parlour may open, almost unawares, upon the unseen. Each book is read in full, for those who love Victorian fiction in all its tenderness, irony, mystery, and truth.Public domain
Episodes
  • Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 2 Chapter 2 - A Family Party

    Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 2 Chapter 2 - A Family Party
    Jul 3 2026
    In which a gathering of family and acquaintances at the Vernon Grange reveals the varied and sometimes conflicting attitudes towards social standing, tradition, and charity, with particular attention to the intricate relations between the newly married Ellen Merridew and her imposing Aunt Catherine. Amidst discussions of fashion, dancing, and the allure of wealth, the characters quietly navigate the boundaries of kinship, pride, and the pursuits that preoccupy their lives in a small English town.
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    32 mins
  • Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 1 Chapter 15 - What Edward Thought

    Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 1 Chapter 15 - What Edward Thought
    Jul 2 2026
    In which Hester, with a swift and proud independence that both puzzles and unsettles her neighbours, ventures alone into town despite the cautious anxieties of her mother and the keen scrutiny of her social circle. She encounters Edward, whose restless and uneasy discourse stirs within her a tumult of indignation, pity, and secret curiosity, setting the stage for reflections on freedom, protection, and the complex ties that bind them.
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    18 mins
  • Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 1 Chapter 13 - Catherine's Opinion

    Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 1 Chapter 13 - Catherine's Opinion
    Jul 1 2026
    In which the keen and observant Catherine Vernon, ever the guardian of her small society's secrets and schemes, reflects on the courtships and ambitions playing out around her, particularly her mixed feelings towards Harry's straightforward affections and his unsought rivalry with young Edward. Meanwhile, Edward, bound by obligation yet burning with silent resentment, finds himself caught between the gilded constraints of family duty and the wild stirrings of personal desire and intrigue.
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    27 mins
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