North and South ~ Elisabeth Gaskell
 I found this book only after seeing the BBC film adaptation.  I hadn't read a British Victorian-Era novel in a while, and was glad to return to that period.  As with other books from that place and time, this book is concerned with social issues especially as a result of the changes that came as a result of industrialization. 

Margaret Hale, the heroine, is an interesting if at times difficult to believe in character.  She is almost too perfect.  She escapes becoming a woman submerged in brainless/unrewarding activities of going to balls, reflecting only the interests of those around you without having any of your own, marrying the most affluent man you can find, etc. in spite of having grown up amongst such society/female role models.  Somehow, her temperament keeps her impervious to these influences even though she moved in with her aunt/cousin as a young girl.  

When the novel begins, she moves back to her mother/father who are suffering financially from the father's decision to give up his living as a pastor.  This change in environment/comfort level (her aunt is living well in London as is wealthy, while her parents need to live frugally) also doesn't seem difficult for her.  I found this particularly difficult to believe simply because it's a drastic change.  Margaret is very concerned for her parents' well-being and perhaps this distracts her, but it cannot be easy to go from no worries to many worries and how you are going to be able to live.  She comments on the change, but in a way it seems to escape her.  

In spite of this question of believability, Margaret seems to be a very strong character.  She faces making decisions even in the face of difficult emotions (which both her parents fail to do) and is very helpful in securing a new place for her parents to live.  She holds herself to high standards of behavior and morality, and is very intelligent.  I enjoyed this book because even though these are good qualities to have, Margaret does have them to the extreme.  She is a harsh judge of others and of herself, she has a temper, and often fails to bite her tongue even if it were better for her to keep her opinions to herself.  In a way, she's too much of a good thing.  Moderation & balance is something she struggles to attain and it's interesting to watch her try.

Much of this unfolds through life experiences and what they teach her.  Some of it is illustrated through her relationship with one man, Mr. Thornton.  He seems to represent her haste to bias/drawing conclusions very quickly, her dislike of unfamiliar things, and her struggle to allow for qualities similar to her own revealing themselves in another person.  Their relationships consistently forces her to work on these short comings of hers.  When she doesn't approach it like that she simply assumes the worst about Mr. Thornton's character.  

This interesting dynamic plays out between them as he falls in love with her, but she is unwilling to see any good in his character.  He has to learn moderation in his own right as she brings out intense emotions for him that he doesn't regulate naturally as he has never felt them before.  

I thought it was an interesting story, with interesting characters, and it presented some social philosophy about allowing economic need to dictate our behavior at any cost.  Much of the novel is about seeing two extremes and learning to find one's way to a middle path, as evidenced in the title.   A good read.