Fanny Burney

An epistolary novel, first published in 1778, "Evelina" tells the story of a young girl who is abandoned by her aristocratic father, who refuses to acknowledge his child's legitimacy. Left to enter the unfamiliar world of London society alone, and naively unprepared for the dangers it hides, the beautiful Evelina is dazzled by her new surroundings, and quickly becomes captivated by the handsome, gallant Lord Orville. But the experience soon turns bitter, when, exposed to the realities of fashionable society, she discovers that her beauty also attracts the unwanted attentions of the dissolute Sir Clement Willoughby. This romantic tale about a heroine who must raise herself to social prominence through the essential quality of her nature struck a chord with the reading public of the time, and "Evelina" became a publishing sensation. Today it is a novel which continues to attract new audiences with its simple tale of character and personal strength.