Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World

Originally published anonymously in 1778, Evelina is an 18th-century epistolary novel by English author Fanny Burney. The title character is the legitimate-but-unacknowledged daughter of a profligate English aristocrat. The story concerns her coming out and education in polite society, which is related through a series of letters between Evelina, her family and friends. Satirical and witty, this sentimental novel was instantly popular and was influential with later authors, such as Jane Austen. This edition from 1903 is wonderfully illustrated.