One could pass Eleanor Harding on the street without noticing her, but it would be hard to spend an evening with her without losing one's heart. John Bold has lost his heart to Eleanor Harding, yet he is a political radical who has launched a campaign against the management of the charity whose trustee is her father. How can this mess be resolved? In the novel, which is Trollope's first recognized masterpiece, the emotional drama is set against the backdrop of two significant contemporary social issues: the improper handling of charitable funds and the irresponsible use of press power. A witty love story in the style of Jane Austen, it is also an unusually subtle representative of 'Condition of England' fiction, combining a charming portrayal of life in an English cathedral town with a serious commitment to larger social and political themes. The Warden is the first in the series.