The Mill on the Floss, published in 1860, is a vivid portrayal of childhood and adolescence in rural England. The novel centers on Maggie Tulliver, whose passionate and imaginative nature brings her into conflict with the middle class narrowness of St Ogg's and, more poignantly, with her beloved brother Tom. The result is one of George Eliot's best-loved works containing an affectionate and perceptive study of provincial life, a brilliant evocation of the complexities of human relationships and a heroine whose rebellious spirit closely resembles George Eliot's own.