Description:
A bestseller in early America, The Coquette follows Eliza Wharton's fall from grace with insight and sympathy. Based on real events, it explores freedom and desire in a society unwilling to forgive women who step outside its bounds.
Brief description: Hannah Webster Foster (1758-1840) was an American novelist, essayist and advocate for women's education. Raised in Massachusetts and well-educated for her time, she wrote anonymously on moral and social topics before publishing her influential epistolary novel The Coquette (1797), based on the real-life tragedy of Elizabeth Whitman. The novel explores themes of reputation, female agency and societal constraint, and became one of early America's most widely read works. Her second novel, The Boarding School (1798), promoted rational education for girls. Though she later withdrew from public authorship, Foster's works continue to be read for their insight into the challenges facing women in the early American republic.
Review Quotes:
"I had never heard of Elizabeth Whitman. I'm glad I picked this story out for the history in it. I would highly recommend reading it." Susan B, NetGalley.
"A very interesting and enjoyable read... it really engrossed me... I will not forget it now." Mouse T, NetGalley.