The first of six in Trollope's series of the Chronicles of Barsetshire introducing the fictional cathedral town of Barchester and the characters of Septimus Harding, the Warden, and his son-in-law Archdeacon Grantly. The Warden concerns the moral dilemma of the conscientious Reverend Septimus Harding...
who finds himself at the centre of a bitter conflict between defenders of Church privilege and the reformers of the mid-Victorian period.
His daughter's suitor, John Bold, is a political radical and passionate reformer who launches a campaign against Harding's management of the financial affairs of the charity, thus shattering the atmosphere of the once tranquil town of Barchester.
The scandal is not improved when Harding's indelicate son-in-law, Archdeacon Grantly, leaps to his defence. The audiobook is a charming social comedy and love story that portrays life in an English cathedral town whilst looking at the larger social and political issues.
The Warden was Trollope's first literary success which paved the way for him to later leave his career as a Post Office Inspector and become a prolific and much-respected author of the Victorian era.
He eventually published 47 novels, many of which are still popular and well-loved today due to their timeless quality and parallels with contemporary society.
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