Anna of the Five Towns

Anna of the Five Towns, first published in 1902, is one of Arnold Bennett’s earliest published works. It’s his first novel to take place in the Five Towns, a fictional district in Middle England based on the real Stoke-on-Trent, and the setting for many of his later books.

The story takes place in an industrial district in late nineteenth-century England, where the rigid social structures and morals of the Methodist church define the area’s way of life. The novel follows Anna Tellwright, a young woman who lives with her younger sister and their authoritarian father. Her life takes a decisive turn when one day she unexpectedly inherits the fortune of her long-dead grandmother. The novel explores themes of personal autonomy, love, and social expectations, particularly as they affect women in an industrial society.