Ellen Wood (1814-1887), known to many as Mrs. Henry Wood, was a prolific English novelist who penned over 30 works, with her most famous being East Lynne, a Victorian bestseller that continues to capture audiences on stage today. The story revolves around Lady Isabel Carlyle, a stunning and cultured young woman who abandons her devoted yet indifferent lawyer husband and their infant children to pursue a passionate affair with an aristocratic lover. When he ultimately betrays her, leaving her to raise their illegitimate child alone, Lady Isabel adopts a new identity and becomes a governess in the home of her estranged husband and his new wife.