Super Short Summary

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë centers on the friendship between Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar during the Luddite uprisings in early 19th-century Yorkshire. Caroline, a poor young woman, struggles with societal restrictions, while Shirley, a wealthy and independent woman, navigates her business interests. They both fall in love with brothers Robert and Louis Moore, exploring themes of female independence and societal expectations. The book contains instances of sexism, xenophobia, antisemitism, racism, classism, racial and ethnic slurs, and gun violence.