Middlemarch: Parts 1 & 2

As the community of Middlemarch confront the dawning of social progress and political reform – embraced by some and opposed by others – a series of private stories emerge. From devout optimist Dorothea Brooke and ambitious young doctor Tertius Lydgate, to principled pragmatist Mary Garth and the morally deficient Nicholas Bulstrode, these are lives defined by hope. But, fettered by family responsibility, financial bonds and damaging secrets, each will see their personal ideals crash against reality.