The Coquette: Or, the History of Eliza Wharton (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780486796192)

The demise of a respectable but unloved fianc introduces a sudden and intoxicating freedom into Eliza Wharton's life. Two new beaus vie for her attention: Reverend Boyer, a staid and proper clergyman, and Major Sanford, a dashing libertine. Reluctant to commit to either suitor, Eliza struggles with the conflicts between duty, romance, and her new-found independence.
Based on the true story of Eliza Whitman, the much-talked-about focus of America's first tabloid scandal, this 1797 novel both satirizes and pays homage to its sentimental precursors. The tale unfolds from a variety of perspectives, recounted in a series of letters between the heroine and her friends and family. Eliza's situation reflects the limited options available to middle-class women of her era, and her dilemma and its resolution offer fascinating historical, literary, and cultural insights into early American society.


Author: Hannah Webster Foster
ISBN-10: 0486796191
ISBN-13: 9780486796192
Publisher: Dover Publications
Language: English
Published: 09/16/2015
Pages: 144
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.30d