Charles Reade
It Is Never Too Late to Mend
"It Is Never Too Late to Mend" by Charles Reade is a novel published in 1856. A ruthless squire becomes dangerously obsessed with a younger woman and hatches a dark conspiracy to have her lover framed and imprisoned. The story explores themes of injustice and prison reform, inspired by real-life reformer George Hans Hamilton. This gripping tale of villainy and redemption proved so popular it was adapted into multiple stage productions and films across several decades.