When Leslie comes to meet her father, Caspar Brooke, for the first time, she is keen to learn why her mother left him. While living with him, Leslie sets herself the task of reuniting her estranged parents. In Sergeant’s typically observant style, the circumstances that surround Brooke’s separation from Lady Alice have as much to do with their characters as they have to do with a chain of events. ‘Brooke’s Daughter’ is an incisive exploration of human relationships and how a simple misunderstanding can change the course of someone’s life. In Caspar, we have one of the most appealing characters in Sergeant’s canon, despite her trademark criticisms of male Victorian values. A fascinating and rewarding read, ‘Brooke’s Daughter’ is sure to delight any reader familiar with her body of work.