Well loved by readers in the Victorian era and today, Anthony Trollope's series of novels known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire have delighted and engaged audiences for over 150 years. Doctor Thorne is the third novel in the collection. Although the primary plot follows the romantic ups and downs of a country doctor, the novel also tackles tough social issues of the day, include the problem of illegitimacy and the difficult lives of children born out of wedlock during the period.