First published in 1855 'Half a Lifetime Ago' by much-loved author Elizabeth Gaskell recounts the events which have befallen the now pessimistic and solitary Susan Dixon, shaping her personality and outlook on life. Set against a bleak, rural backdrop, it is a tale of love and loss and of hope and disappointment as she looks back on the moments which have moulded her. A morose yet moving reflection on life.