Initially published anonymously, Anthony Trollope’s ‘Linda Tressel’ follows the story of a young orphan girl. Set in Nuremburg, the young Linda’s religious Aunt Charlotte comes to look after her, and they live together in the picturesque house left to Linda by her father. To supplement Aunt Charlotte’s meagre income they take in a lodger, Peter Steinmerc. When Linda turns twenty her Aunt Charlotte is keen to marry her off to Peter, unaware that Linda has already fallen in love with someone else. A tragic tale of turmoil and secret love, ‘Linda Tressel’ offers a fascinating insight into Victorian relationships. Will Linda find her happy ending, or will her spirit be crushed?
Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.