The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

This isn't a book I loved, although it does make an impression.  It tells the story of a brother and sister, Maggie and Tom.  Mostly it follows Maggie.  It starts when she's a young girl.  The family faces bankruptcy and loses their mill and possessions.  Their father dies.  Maggie grows up and experiences romantic relationships with two different men, neither of whom her family approves.  She is briefly exiled from home.  She hurries home when the area floods.  Maggie and Tom are killed together in the flood.  Very depressing!  It seems strange to me, too, that her brother seems to be the only real relationship she ever has.  It's sad that her intellect is neglected, and her life is also very limited.  I wouldn't choose to read it again now that I know what to expect.