Book excerpt: Janet Dempster, the wife of a respected yet tyrannical lawyer, lives a life of quiet despair. Trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, she turns to alcohol as her only solace, spiraling deeper into a cycle of shame and misery. Her suffering is a well-kept secret in the town, where appearances and reputation are everything, and those who struggle are often left to do so in silence. Janet's Repentance is a deeply moving exploration of the complexities of human frailty, the possibility of redemption, and the courage it takes to change one’s life. GEORGE ELIOT, pseudonym for MARY ANN EVANS [1819-1880], was an English novelist. Several of her works are considered among the most important in British literature within a realistic novel tradition. They often unfold in the English countryside and are characterized by a deeply empathetic psychological portrayal that was ahead of its time.