read for Popsugar 2018 challenge: a book mentioned in another book

WOW I LOVED THIS. I stumbled across the BBC mini series of this years ago and fell in love, so I'm glad I finally read its source material. There's so much in this novel. Gaskell explores social critique, industrialization, religion, familial relationships, grief, and more. But the heart of this novel is Margaret Hale and John Thornton and their romance. There's tension between the two of them from the moment they meet as they represent two very different worlds colliding. There's so much angst and longing between the two of them that I squealed many, many times. (John Thornton has the the template for so many of Lisa Kleypas's brooding angsty well-made historical romance heroes) The two grow and adapt throughout the novel and the ending is EXCELLENT pay off.

Also shoutout to Juliet Stevenson who was an AMAZING narrator. She added a whole extra level of enjoyment to this.