"Freedgood models a kind of reading that abjures thematic or allegorical readings of literary objects. Instead, she uncovers the forgotten history of novelistic objects (mahogany, tobacco, calico) and then draws upon that history to elucidate new readings of classic Victorian novels. Freedgood’s examination of the history of mahogany, for example, leads to a fresh and unexpected reading of Jane Eyre. Freedgood gestures toward a new way of reading fiction; the work’s importance extends far beyond her case studies."