Summary:
"The Woman Who Did" by Grant Allen is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around Herminia Barton, a progressive woman navigating her beliefs about freedom, love, and marriage while confronting societal conventions and expectations of her time. The opening of the book introduces Herminia during a summer visit, where she meets Alan Merrick, a man who shares her advanced views on women's emancipation. Their conversations reveal their mutual attraction and principles, particularly Herminia's strong belief in the need for women to achieve true autonomy and independence. As they connect, Hermione emphasizes the conflicts she faces between her desire for love and her principles regarding societal norms, particularly the institution of marriage, showcasing the themes of love, duty, and personal conviction right from the beginning. (This is an automatically generated summary.)