Can You Forgive Her

First published in serial form, 'Can You Forgive Her?' is the first of Anthony Trollope's six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary novels. At the centre of the story is young Alice Vavasor, who finds herself torn between two men - the dependable John Grey and her reckless cousin George. Alice's turmoil is contrasted with parallel stories following the romantic fortunes of her aunt Arabella Greenow, and her incredibly wealthy cousin Lady Glencora Palliser, as each woman navigates social conventions of the time in order to find happiness. Issues of politics, privacy and marriage collide as the women each try to answer the question Alice asks herself early on - 'What should a woman do with her life?'