Fans of nineteenth-century novels should flock to Mary Cholmondeley’s Red Pottage. This novel takes an unflinching look at the social conventions and strictures that dictated so many women’s life trajectories in the era — often with less-than-ideal outcomes for everyone involved. Following the lives of several female friends, Red Pottage is a rare gem: an insightful social critique that is a page-turning pleasure to read.