"Tristana" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1892. Set in nineteenth-century Madrid, it follows a young woman who becomes dependent on an older guardian after her mother's death. When he seduces her, Tristana rebels and pursues love and independence. Through language and self-invention, she develops feminist ideals and dreams of professional freedom. But circumstances conspire to test her aspirations, forcing her into difficult choices about autonomy, love, and survival in a society that limits women's possibilities. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.
