The Grey Woman

Written in the Gothic tradition, The Grey Woman tells a powerful story of deception and distrust. This complex tale is told in an epistolary format from the perspective of the protagonist, Anna Scherer. Similar to other Gaskell works, a recurring theme is the oppression of women through marriage, specifically the lack of power and rights that women have within a marriage. This book is considered ahead of its time for its progressive feminist views and strong female protagonist. It is sometimes compared to Charles Perrault's Bluebeard.