The Old Wives’ Tale is a 1908 novel by British author Arnold Bennett (1867-1931). Some early editions bear the subtitle “A Novel of Life,” which indicates its expansive scope and its theme of examining the changes of life. The novel portrays two sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines, from their teenage years in their parents’ home, to their separate lives in adulthood, through their coming back together in old age. It is widely considered one of Bennett’s masterworks, along with his novels Anna of the Five Towns, Clayhanger, and Riceyman Steps.