Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 2
'Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 2' Summary
The Vernon's Banking House is a thriving bank in England. After Mr. Rule, a clerk in the bank, hears rumors about a potential collapse of the bank, he seeks out bank owner John Vernon, but finds that Vernon has disappeared. Mr. Vernon's wife has no information about his disappearance or matters of the bank. However, Catherine, a part-owner of the bank, uses her fortune to stop a run on the bank.
Decades later, Mrs. Vernon and her 14-year-old daughter Hester move back to Redborough. When Hester meets Catherine, she forms an unfavorable impression, but she makes friends with Edward, who is Catherine's confidante and protege.
Five years later, Hester befriends the elderly Morgans, suffers through family dinners and rebuffs a marriage proposal from Harry, another of Catherine's proteges.
The Morgans' grandson Roland, briefly introduced in Part I, is developed as a love interest for Hester. The Morgans express their concern about his character in part due to his job as a speculator.
Ellen starts hosting tea dances, which allow the youths to mingle unsupervised and Hester to 'come out' in society. Mrs. John Vernon is excited to help her daughter Hester come out. Additionally, Mrs. Vernon's pearls, which she gives to Hester, provide a point of contention.
Roland's sister Emma then comes to stay with the Morgans. She tries to get herself invited to the dances so that she may also 'come out' and marry. Meanwhile, Edward makes his interest in Hester known and his discontent with Catherine grows.
Hester nearly finds out about her father at one of Catherine's parties.
Hester's love life is revisited and marriage is discussed, while Roland talks business with Edward and Harry. Harry is opposed to speculating with the bank's money, but Edward seems enthusiastic.
Edward's betrayal hurts Catherine, as well as harming the bank's business. Edward runs away and marries Emma.
Afterwards, Catherine and Hester work together to retain the bank's status and stability.
The name Hester is a Persian name. It means "Star".
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1883Author
Margaret O. Oliphant
Scotland
Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant was a Scottish novelist and historical writer, who usually wrote as Mrs. Oliphant. Her fictional works cover "domestic realism, the historical novel and tales of the...
More on Margaret O. OliphantDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
A Woman's Life by Guy de Maupassant
A Woman's Life is a captivating novel by Guy de Maupassant that chronicles the life of Jeanne, a young woman born into a wealthy Norman family. From h...
Precious Bane by Mary Webb
Delve into the captivating world of Precious Bane, a poignant tale of resilience and the enduring power of love amidst the harsh realities of rural li...
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
This is a timeless classic that explores the contrasting nature of two sisters and their divergent approaches to life and love. Written by the esteeme...
The Room in the Dragon Volant by Sheridan Le Fanu
J. Sheridan LeFanu's Gothic mystery novel is narrated by Richard Beckett, a young Englishman abroad in Napoleonic-era France. He falls instantly in lo...
Cinnamon and Angelica by John Middleton Murry
A mesmerizing novel by John Middleton Murry that explores the complexities of love, identity, and the shifting social dynamics of early 20th-century E...
The Forest Lovers by Maurice Henry Hewlett
The story revolves around a young knight, Richard Lanfranc, who falls in love with a mysterious forest-dwelling woman named Alisande. The Forest Lover...
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis, is a satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social pre...
The Annals of Ann by Kate Trimble Sharber
"The Annals of Ann" by Kate Trimble Sharber takes readers on an enthralling journey into the life of Ann, a woman with a secret so profound, it will l...
The Place Beyond The Winds by Harriet Theresa Comstock
This is a captivating novel that takes readers on an extraordinary journey of love, adventure, and self-discovery. Written in [1914], this timeless st...
Antonia by George Sand
Will love conquer all? An entertaining novel of growth in light of societal pressures of propriety, finance and inheritance of 19th century France. In...
Reviews for Hester: A Story of Contemporary Life, Volume 2
No reviews posted or approved, yet...