1890; Seeley and Company, Limited publishers, London; hardbound in navy blue boards with gilt lettering and decor on cover and spine - very nicely preserved; pages are clean and unmarked; binding is strong; small tears on sheet edge covering front picture of Frances Burney - not distracting to picture; no dust jacket; black and white illustrations.
 
Description -
Frances Burney (1752-1840) was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright; best known for these memoirs, as well as for her novels "Evelina" and "The Wanderer". The posthumous publications of her diaries by her niece Charlotte Barrett installed her a place of posterity for her stirring portrayals of late Georgian England and post-revolutionary France.
 
Burney was identified by Virginia Woolf as one of the first successful female novelists, especially in the realistic portrayal of women in contemporary social settings. Her diary reveals a complex personal life and family plot, rich in preserving the society of her time, describing her personal relationships, and recounting important events and poignant observations from her life. She is considered a major influence of Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth, and continues to be the subject of feminist scholarship today.