Top 100 Classic Books Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor, and are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. Cousin Phillis is a novel about 19-year-old Paul Manning, who moves to the country and befriends his mother"s family and his cousin Phillis Holman. This novel is also recognized as a fitting prelude for Gaskels final and most widely acclaimed novel, Wives and Daughters.