Sylvia's Lovers — Elizabeth Gaskell / Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

First Published in 1863

A very powerfully moving novel of a young woman caught between the attractions of two very different men, Sylvia's Lovers is set in the 1790s in an English seaside town. England is at war with France, and press-gangs wreak havoc by seizing young men for service. One of their victims is a whaling harpooner named Charley Kinraid, whose charm and vivacity have captured the heart of Sylvia Robson. But Sylvia's devoted cousin, Philip Hepburn, hopes to marry her himself and, in order to win her, deliberately withholds crucial information -- with devastating consequences.

Note: Another Blurb:

Set on the whaling port of Monkshaven, this is the story of Sylvia Robson, the two different men who lay claim on her heart, and the complex fates of their extended families. The plot unravels the unscrupulous activities of press-gangs. Sylvia's lover is carried off by a press-gang, but writes to her, promising constancy. Unfortunately, the letter is entrusted to Sylvia's cousin, Philip, who keeps it from her in order to marry her himself. Years later Charley returns, and Philip's treachery is discovered, withdisastrous consequences.