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“Evelina” and “The Coquette” free downloads

I have two ebooks for you this week, available for free download from our ebook catalog. Many times I am surprised at finding similarities between the two books I choose to publish at a time. The two novels this time are similar in format (read more about the epistolary novel), time period (late 1700s), and long titles!

Evelina: Or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World was published in 1778. Evelina has been raised raised in rural seclusion until her eighteenth year. She then travels to London learns how to navigate the complex layers of 18th century society and earn the love of a distinguished nobleman. This sentimental novel of manners often satirizes the society in which it is set and is a significant precursor to later works by Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth.

The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton was published 1797 and was one of the best-selling American novels of its time. A fictionalized account of the story of Elizabeth Whitman, whose infamous demise was blamed on the fact that she read romance novels, giving her improper ideas. Hanna Webster Foster responded with The Coquette, which provided a sympathetic portrayal of the difficulties faced by middle-class women at the time.

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