A thought-provoking novel of love and loss by one of the twentieth century's most important writers.

In 1905, the naive young woman Rachel Vinrace embarks on a journey to South America that will change her life forever. As the long sea voyage proceeds, she connects with her fellow travellers and discovers the true meaning of love.

Filled with a series of exceptional character portraits, Woolf uses the book to comment on the absurdities of Edwardian life and explores the competing desires for freedom, intellectual stimulation and romantic passion. Woolf's first novel, it is at once an insightful exploration of the female mind and a critique of a society that sought to restrict people to particular roles.