A Simple Story

The book is divided into two plots. The first follows the love story of young Miss Milner and her guardian Dorriforth, a Roman Catholic priest. The second half of the novel is about the troubled relationship of Dorriforth and his daughter Matilda after Miss Milner's adulterous affair after their marriage. It examines the issues of the education of women, Catholicism, theatricality, sensibility, and gender roles.