Adam Bede Cottage, Wirksworth, UK

Adam Bede by George Eliot

This is, in some ways, a very sad story. The heartbreak and despondency of Hetty, Adam, and now Arthur is almost unbearably sad. I'm hopeful for an inspiring, optimistic ending, but right now, about 3/4's through the book, it's a somber and distressing story. Hetty has been "transported" to Australia for murdering her newborn child, Adam is bereft and grieving, and Arthur, the gentleman landlord and protector of his many tenants, is enlisting in the army and will be gone for years, perhaps forever. The one uplifting note is that Adam has forgiven Arthur and the two have renewed their friendship. It's also encouraging that the author has given the reader 100+ more pages here at the end, which suggests that regeneration and renewal may lie ahead.