Discovering "Evelina": An Old-fashioned Romance / A Companion Book to "The Jessamy Bride"

Through domestic scenes and family conversation, the author reconstructs the discovery and early life of a celebrated epistolary novel, interleaving household anecdotes, theatrical and literary gossip, and portraits of contemporary figures to show how social manners and the stage shaped its reception. The account alternates intimate reminiscence with critical reflection, examining themes of a young woman’s entrance into society, the nature of authorship, and the tension between private creativity and public performance, while offering descriptive sketches of period customs and the social world that framed the novel’s emergence.