The Old Wives' Tale

Arnold Bennett wrote a book titled The Old Wives Tale which was first released in 1908. Constance and Sophia Baines two sisters with extremely different lifestyles are the subject of the book. It follows their lives from childhood when they worked in their mothers drapery store through old age. It is set in Burslem and Paris and spans around 70 years from roughly 1840 to 1905. It is frequently cited as one of Bennetts best pieces of writing. There are four sections to the book. The first chapter Mrs. Baines describes Constance and Sophias adolescence and their upbringing at their fathers home and business. Their mother Mrs. Baines serves as the primary caregiver for them because their sick and bedridden father cannot. By the end of the first novel Constance has been replaced by the sophisticated Sophia whose name reflects her sophistication. Constance marries Mr. Povey a store employee in the interim. Despite appearing to be mundane on the outside her life is nevertheless full with intimate events such as the passing of her husband Mr. Povey and her worries about the morals and behaviour of her son.