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Leonora

By Maria Edgeworth
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About This Book

An epistolary narrative of intimate letters to a trusted friend traces a woman's candid account of a loveless marriage, subsequent separation, and the moral and emotional cost of legal and social restraints on women. She seeks consolation in travel, nature, and literature, especially German romantic fiction, which deepens a reflective melancholy and fuels inward critique. Through personal confession and social observation the correspondence examines gendered hypocrisy, the tension between principle and feeling, and the struggle to reconcile sensibility with public expectation, framing private sensations as the central events of the narrative.

About the Author

Edgeworth, Maria portrait

Maria Edgeworth

Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was an Anglo-Irish writer known for her contributions to the development of the novel and for her insightful explorations of social issues. Her most famous work, "Castle Rackrent," is often regarded as one of the first historical novels in English, offering a vivid portrayal of Irish society through the eyes of a servant. Edgeworth's writing is characterized by its moral complexity and keen observations of human behavior, as seen in her various collections of tales and novels, such as "Belinda" and "Murad the Unlucky, and Other Tales." In addition to fiction, she also wrote extensively on education, advocating for practical approaches to learning.

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