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Good evening and welcome to the Sleepy Bookshelf, where we put down our worries from the day and pick up a good book.

I'm Elizabeth, your host, and it's lovely to have you here with me tonight.

This evening, I'm excited to be beginning the Charwoman's Daughter by James Stevens.

Published in 1912, it tells the story of Mary, the daughter of a poor, hard-working charwoman or housekeeper,

and her journey to improve her life through education and ambition.

Mary faces the harsh realities of her socio-economic position, but the novel is also about her resilience,

her emotional struggles, and her desire to escape the limitations placed upon

her by society and her upbringing.

If this is your first visit to the sleepy bookshelf, don't worry if you drop off before

I finish this part of the story.

At the beginning of the next episode, I'll give you a thorough recap.

That way you can rest easy without worrying about missing anything important.

Keep in mind that all the books on this show are selected and edited to help you fall asleep.

We keep the plot lines, protagonists and antagonists and moments of tension,

but we do remove anything that might be startling or upsetting to ensure you always get a good night's rest. That's what makes this the sleepy bookshelf. As always, let's take some

time to put the day behind us.

Inhale and have a nice, big stretch.

And on your exhale, relax, and allow your limbs to sink heavily.

Let go of any tension you are holding in your muscles.

And with every exhale, sink deeper and deeper into your bed. Let's take another deep breath and hold it for a moment

before exhaling completely, allowing any lingering thoughts to dissolve into the air.

...