The chronicle of the tragic lives of a poor black family in 1940s America. Every night Pecola, unlovely and unloved, prays for blue eyes like those of her white schoolfellows. She becomes the focus of the mingled love and hatred engendered by her family's frailty and the world's cruelty.
HarperCollins is proud to present a range of best-loved, essential classics. Seeking escape from their unfulfilling marriages and monotonous lives in 1920s England, two women become transfixed by an advertisement to rent a medieval Italian castle for the month of April. Lotty Wilkins, who feels stifled by her solicitor husband, and pious Rose Arbuthnot, discontented in her relationship, are joined by two strangers - the glamorous socialite Lady Caroline Dester and the elderly Mrs Fisher - and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected friendship that will change their lives forever. First published in 1922 and later adapted into a film, Elizabeth von Arnim's most celebrated novel is a love letter to the power of travel, transporting readers to the sun-drenched paradise of the Mediterranean.