The Nobleman and Other Romances

Born Dutch, noble, and free-spirited, Isabelle de Charriere (also known as Belle de Zuylen) was an enlightened woman whose writings - not unlike Jane Austen’s - tackled the intricacies of high society, particularly in matters of love. Published when she was only twenty- two, ‘The Nobleman’ is a Persuasion-like tale whose heroine challenges her stodgy father in order to marry a man of unassuming ancestry. But Charriere did not confine herself to simple marriage plots and country courtships. Another story, ‘Eagonlette and Suggestina’, is a thinly veiled critique of Marie Antoinette, cleverly disguised as a fairy tale. The Nobleman and Other Romances will delight fans of Jane Austen and Enlightenment-era French literature.