In The Last Chronicle of Barset, Trollope concludes his saga of ecclesiastical life. At the heart of the novel is the plight of Josiah Crawley, a proud, impoverished clergyman who faces difficult legal circumstances. Caught amidst poverty, Josiah appears to have stolen a cheque and is forced to stand trial—despite the fact that he cannot remember the cheque’s origins. To make matters worse, his daughter Grace desperately seeks the approval of Archdeacon Grantly, whose son she intends to marry.

The Last Chronicle of Barset is a joyful end to Trollope’s series of Barsetshire novels. Here Trollope skilfully weaves together plot threads and characters from earlier novels in the series and provides a fond farewell tour of his cherished diocese.