简介：ThestoryrevolvesaroundPamela,asawomaninlate-1800'sEnglandwhohasnointentionofmarriageandwishestobeherownperson.Afteragreatdealofdifficultyinfindingajob,shefinallylandsapositionata"woman's"magazine,whichcoveredtopicssuchassewingandcooking.Aftertheeditortakessick,shemovesthemagazineintodiscussingissuesofgenderequality,childlabor,medicalcare,andfindingajob.Shethenfindsherselfastheunexpectedleaderofamovement.Afteranunexpectedevent,sheisalsofacedwithraisingachildwithoutafather,whichpeopleatthattimethoughtwasscandalous. —TaedNelson InVictorianEngland,PamelaThistlewaitebuckssocietalnotionsofwhatitmeanstobeayoungwoman,muchtotheexasperationofherstrictfather,JudgeByronThistlewaite.TheJudgebelieves,asdomostinhisgenerationinthissociety,thatfemalesareinferiortomales,andshouldlearntodoonlythingsthatwillservethemenintheirlives.Pamela,afeminist,vowstoherselfthatifsheeverweretobecomeaparent,shewouldbenothinglikeherfather,andthatshewouldbeopenandhonestwithherchildren.WhattheJudgedecidestodotodealwithbothhisdaughters,theotherbeingmoresubservientFloraAnnewhofeelstornbeingfollowingthewordofherfatherorhersister,istomarryeachofthemofftoamantowhichheapproves.TheJudgedoesapproveFloraAnne'schoice,navalofficerLieutenantAlanFreeland,themarriagetotakeplaceimmediatelyifonlytoaccommodatehismilitaryservice.PamelasecretlystartstoseeayoungmannamedLordGeraldGaythorne,thetwowhofallinlove.OutofcircumstancehavingnothingtodowiththeJudgehowever,amarriagebetweenthetwowillnothappen.ForvariousreasonsincludinghavingsomeonetocommiseratewithandbecauseFloraAnneispregnant,PameladecidestotakeanextendedvacationtoItalywheretheFreelandsnowlive.BytheendofPamela'sclosetoyearlongstayinItalywithhersister,sheobligesFloraAnne'srequest,madeduetothecircumstances,totakeherdaughter,alsonamedFlora,withhertoraiseherbackinEngland.Unmarriedwithachildtocarefor,Pameladecidesnottomovebackwithherfather,butliveindependentlyinLondon.Findingworkisdifficultasmostemployersareunwillingtohireawoman.However,shemanagestonegotiateajobworkingatasmallwomen'sweeklymagazine,thetypeofpublicationwhichadvancedthestereotypeofthesubservientwomanshesoabhorred.Basedontheplightofayoungwomanwhovisitsthemagazineoffice,Pamelaseizesonanopportunitytotransformthemagazineintoonethatadvancesherfeministviews.Throughthisperiodofherlife,PamelafallsinlovewithBritishdiplomatThomasLane,afriendofherbrother-in-law.ThomaswantstomarryPamela,whowillnotdosoonlybecausesheiskeepingasecretrelatedtoFlora.ThesituationgetsmorecomplexwhenPamelabecomesreacquaintedwithLordGaythorne. —Huggo…