Persuasion

She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning.

Anne Elliot is persuaded by her friends and family to reject a marriage proposal from Captain Wentworth because he lacks in fortune and rank. More than seven years later, when he returns home from the Navy, Anne realises she still has strong feelings for him, but Wentworth only appears to have eyes for a friend of Anne's.

Moving, tender, but intrinsically 'Austen' in style, with its satirical portrayal of the vanity of society in the 18th-century England, Persuasion celebrates enduring love, hope and determination as one woman strives to reignite a lost relationship.