To relieve the pressure on her impoverished, overburdened family, shy young Fanny Price is sent to live with Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, wealthy relatives who reside at Mansfield Park. Of the Bertrams' own four children, only the younger son, Edmund, shows her any real kindness, and over time Fanny falls in love with her cousin. With Sir Thomas away on overseas business, Mansfield's social circle gains two superficially attractive new members: handsome, worldly Henry Crawford and his witty, vivacious sister Mary. Flirtations abound as Henry cavorts with the two Bertram daughters, one of whom is already engaged. Even more galling to Fanny, who stands aloof from all the shenanigans, is the fact that Edmund falls for Mary's dazzling charms. The waters are further muddied when Henry trains his roving eye on Fanny herself, and becomes a very earnest suitor ... Austen's recurring themes of manners and morality, rank and responsibility, vice and virtue, lie at the heart of Mansfield Park, widely regarded as one of her mature masterpieces. -- from publisher.