A Dark Night's Work

by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

"A Dark Night's Work" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a novel published in 1863. When a country lawyer's attempts to rise above his station lead to financial ruin and alcoholism, a violent confrontation results in death. His daughter Ellinor helps conceal the terrible act, binding her to a dark secret that will haunt her for fifteen years. This psychological tale explores how one moment of violence ripples through lives, destroying love, ambition, and peace of mind.