Life in the small English town of Cranford seems very quiet and peaceful. The ladies of Cranford lead tidy, regular lives. They make their visits between the hours of twelve and three, give little evening parties, and worry about their maid-servants. But life is not always smooth - there are little arguments and jealousies, sudden deaths and unexpected marriages. Mrs. Gaskell's timeless picture of small-town life in the first half of the nineteenth century has delighted readers for nearly 150 years.

Cranford是一座位於英國的鄉村小鎮，那裡的生活似乎都非常安靜又和平。Craford的女人過個有規律又井然有序的生活，她們每天下午都會有個下午茶，互相拜訪對方，談論家中女僕哪裡做得不夠好。但生活並不會總是這麼順利，有時會發生一些爭執與忌妒，接著有人突然結婚，也有人突然死去。Gaskell夫人完美呈現19世紀中前鄉村小鎮的純樸生活，即便經過將近150年，依然帶給讀者許多歡樂。