Hannah Webster Foster (1758–1840) was an American novelist, essayist and advocate for women’s education. Raised in Massachusetts and well-educated for her time, she wrote anonymously on moral and social topics before publishing her influential epistolary novel The Coquette (1797), based on the real-life tragedy of Elizabeth Whitman. The novel explores themes of reputation, female agency and societal constraint, and became one of early America’s most widely read works. Her second novel, The Boarding School (1798), promoted rational education for girls. Though she later withdrew from public authorship, Foster’s works continue to be read for their insight into the challenges facing women in the early American republic.L. A. Davenport, born in Cork, Ireland, in 1973, is a novelist and short story writer whose works include The Nucleus of Reality, Escape, and No Way Home. A graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he brings extensive experience in medical journalism to his insightful and engaging fiction and non-fiction.

“A very interesting and enjoyable read… it really engrossed me… I will not forget it now.”

• Biographical IntroductionEditorial NoteIntroductionTHE COQUETTEHannah Webster FosterTHE ROMANCE OF THE ASSOCIATIONCaroline Wells Healey DallAbout P-Wave ClassicsFrom P-Wave ClassicsP-Wave Press