Ralph the Heir

"Ralph the Heir" by Anthony Trollope is a novel published in 1871. Two men share the same name—Ralph Newton—but only one can inherit the family estate. The legitimate heir drowns in debt while his illegitimate cousin earns their uncle's love. As the heir wavers between selling his inheritance and marrying beneath his class, fate intervenes with unexpected consequences. Meanwhile, a corrupt Parliamentary election exposes the rot at the heart of British politics, drawn directly from Trollope's own bruising campaign experience. (This is an automatically generated summary.)