Orley Farm (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

This 1862 novel was the author's personal favorite of all his books.  A young widow and her infant son come into possession of a small farm after the death of her wealthy husband, who leaves the bulk of his estate to his first family.  The upheavals set in motion by this bequest—which come to involve a criminal investigation and court case—cast a long shadow over the lives of Trollope's characters.