The old wives' tale

About “The old wives' tale”

First published in 1908, The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett follows the lives of the Baines sisters, Constance and Sophia, over nearly half a century. The story begins in the drapery shop of their father in the provincial town of Bursley, England, during the mid-Victorian era. It traces their experiences from childhood through marriage and into old age, showing the contrast between their personalities—Constance is shy and retiring, while Sophia is defiant and romantic. The setting shifts from the Five Towns of Staffordshire to Paris, where the sisters' paths cross again in their later years. The novel spans from the domestic life of the Baines family to the chaos of the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.