Showing results by author "Hannah Webster Foster" in All Categories

Dive into the captivating world of early American literature with Coquette, an epistolary novel that tells the poignant tale of Eliza Wharton, a spirited young woman whose pursuit of passion leads to her tragic downfall. Inspired by the true story of Elizabeth Whitman, whose heartbreaking death in childbirth in a Connecticut inn ignited public outrage and debate, this novel has resonated through the ages, captivating readers with its exploration of seduction, societal expectations, and the price of desire since its debut in 1797. (Summary by Jon Miller)

This best-selling novel by Hannah Webster Foster (1758-1840) is a fictionalized account of the death of an upper class woman after giving birth to a stillborn, illegitimate child at a tavern. Published anonymously in 1797, it did not appear under Foster’s name until after her death. It was a huge success in its time and had eight reprints between 1824 and 1828.