C. E. Brock – illustratör

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains - where is Father, and is he ever coming back? This collection of the best in children's literature, curated by Virago, will be coveted by children and adults alike. These are timeless tales with beautiful covers, that will be treasured and shared across the generations. Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you, but there are stories for everyone to love, whatever your age. Our list includes Nina Bawden (Carrie's War, The Peppermint Pig), Rumer Godden (An Episode of Sparrows), Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden, The Gift Giving) E. Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy, The Bastable Trilogy, The Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess,The Secret Garden) and Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy). Discover Virago Children's Classics.

Edith Nesbit wrote with supreme confidence about the lives of children and Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, the trio in The Railway Children, reflect her faith in the resourcefulness, capacity for adventure, and instinctive heroism of the young. This edition of her most popular book restores the splendid original illustrations of C. E. Brock.

Emma is a comic novel by Jane Austen, first published in December 1815, about the perils of misconstrued romance. The main character, Emma Woodhouse, is described in the opening paragraph as "handsome, clever, and rich" but is also rather spoiled.This edition includes:* 12 tinted line drawings by C. E. Brock (1898)* 24 watercolors by C. E. Brock (1909)* 39 black and white drawings by Hugh Thomson (1896)

The period of "Ivanhoe" is a few months subsequent to "The Talisman." Richard I has abandoned his Crusade, and, after an incarceration in an Austrian prison returns to his English throne to find plots against him headed by his brother John, and also a general state of unrest. Normans and Saxons still quarrel, and the story as a whole gives an admirable picture of feudal times.Ivanhoe is the only son of Cedric the Saxon, and has been disinherited by his father on account of his love for Cedric''s ward, the Lady Rowena. lie thereupon goes with King Richard to Palestine and wins renown in the Crusade. He returns to England disguised as a Palmer. Meanwhile his father maintains the ancient Saxon state at his manor of Rotherwood, at odds with the Norman "interlopers." Cedric therefore accords but grudging hospitality to a Norman knight, Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, when the latter seeks shelter from a storm, being guided thereto by a pilgrim. During the evening repast, Lady Rowena inquires news of the Crusade and is informed that Ivanhoe has gained fame and the favor of the King. Bois-Guilbert thereupon boasts that he himself would like to meet him at a pending tournament; at which the pilgrim takes up the gage forthe knight ...

A small Cheshire town run almost entirely by women of small means and large dignity, where the arrival of a bank failure or a conjuror counts as an era. Gaskell wrote it in sketches for Dickens''s magazine, with no plan for a novel, and the shape it took is the shape of gossip. The town is Knutsford, where she grew up. Fifty-eight plates of painting, from Tissot to Marianne North, gather the parlours, tea tables and far-off landscapes that give Gaskell''s small-town comedy its wider weather.

A new girl arrives at an English boarding school in mid-term, is placed in a form of older pupils, and has to find out for herself what the rules actually are. The school story of this period ran on such arrivals; what distinguishes this one is the amount of ordinary school work in it. The friendships are made and broken over small things, exactly as they are at that age. Fifty-six plates of nineteenth-century painting, from Wilkie''s crowded interiors to Sisley''s riverside views, catch the same small dramas of ordinary life that fill Barbara''s first term.

Three American women take rooms in London — Penelope the artist, Salemina the Boston philanthropist, and Francesca, not yet twenty and in love — and set down the weekly bill, the powdered footman, a ducal tea-party and a ball watched from across the street. With them come A Cathedral Courtship, in which Kitty Schuyler and Jack Copley conduct a romance through the English cathedral towns in alternating diaries, and The Birds'' Christmas Carol, the story of a sick child born on Christmas Day that first made Wiggin''s name. Light, quick, and less innocent about the English than it looks. Forty-five plates, from Millais to Turner, follow the travellers through market scenes, rivers and lakeside light that mirror the cathedral towns and quiet English landscapes of the stories.

A small Cheshire town run almost entirely by women of small means and large dignity, where the arrival of a bank failure or a conjuror counts as an era. Gaskell wrote it in sketches for Dickens''s magazine, with no plan for a novel, and the shape it took is the shape of gossip. The town is Knutsford, where she grew up. A hundred plates, from Gainsborough to van de Velde, follow the small dramas of the town through portraits and storm-tossed ships.

Elizabeth Gaskell''s ''Cranford'' is a novel that provides a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of a small English town during the early 19th century. Through her satirical and witty writing style, Gaskell not only portrays the idiosyncrasies of the town''s characters but also delves into the themes of social class, female friendships, and the changing landscape of rural England. ''Cranford'' is often considered a classic of Victorian literature, known for its sharp observations and nuanced characterization. The novel''s episodic structure and focus on everyday events create a charming and intimate portrait of village life. Elizabeth Gaskell''s background as a social commentator and her keen understanding of the complexities of human relationships lend depth and authenticity to her narrative. ''Cranford'' is a must-read for those interested in Victorian literature, social history, and the portrayal of women in literature.