May Sinclair's 'Life And Death of Harriett Frean' tells the story of the titular character, Harriett, who has been raised as the embodiment of the perfect Victorian woman; loving, honourable, and obedient. She idolizes her parents and learns from childhood that love is equal to self-sacrifice but when she falls in love with her closest friend's fiancé, she is forced to question everything she thought she thought she knew. Described as a "small, perfect gem of a book" by author Jonathan Coe, this historical romance novella was adapted into a BBC television show in 1986 and is a brilliant study of female ideals that stands alongside works by Virginia Woolf. -