
The Coquette
or, The History of Eliza Wharton
Hannah Webster Foster(Author)
L. A. Davenport(Editor)
P-Wave Classics (Publisher)
Published on 21. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
428 pages
978-1-916937-25-3 (ISBN)
Description
A spirited heroine. A dangerous flirtation. A society unwilling to forgive.
Published anonymously in 1797, The Coquette quickly became one of the most widely read novels of early America. Inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Whitman-an intelligent and accomplished young woman whose tragic death became a national scandal-Hannah Webster Foster's epistolary novel explores the pressures placed on women in a world that offers them few real choices.
Eliza Wharton is recently released from an unwanted engagement and eager to enjoy her freedom. But her charm and independence attract unwanted scrutiny, especially when she becomes the object of attention from both a respectable clergyman and a dangerously attractive libertine. As the letters fly and public judgement closes in, Eliza's story becomes a subtle but powerful meditation on reputation, agency and the human cost of social conformity.
This P-Wave Classics edition includes:
The full text of Foster's original 1797 novel
The 1855 Historical Preface by Jane E. Locke
Caroline Wells Healey Dall's 1875 response, The Romance of the Association
Together, they offer a rare glimpse into the literary afterlife of The Coquette and the fierce cultural debate surrounding the woman who inspired it.
Edited with notes and an introduction by L.A. Davenport.
Published anonymously in 1797, The Coquette quickly became one of the most widely read novels of early America. Inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Whitman-an intelligent and accomplished young woman whose tragic death became a national scandal-Hannah Webster Foster's epistolary novel explores the pressures placed on women in a world that offers them few real choices.
Eliza Wharton is recently released from an unwanted engagement and eager to enjoy her freedom. But her charm and independence attract unwanted scrutiny, especially when she becomes the object of attention from both a respectable clergyman and a dangerously attractive libertine. As the letters fly and public judgement closes in, Eliza's story becomes a subtle but powerful meditation on reputation, agency and the human cost of social conformity.
This P-Wave Classics edition includes:
The full text of Foster's original 1797 novel
The 1855 Historical Preface by Jane E. Locke
Caroline Wells Healey Dall's 1875 response, The Romance of the Association
Together, they offer a rare glimpse into the literary afterlife of The Coquette and the fierce cultural debate surrounding the woman who inspired it.
Edited with notes and an introduction by L.A. Davenport.
Reviews / Votes
"A very interesting and enjoyable read... it really engrossed me... I will not forget it now." -- Mouse T * The Coquette * "I had never heard of Elizabeth Whitman. I'm glad I picked this story out for the history in it. I would highly recommend reading it." -- Susan B * The Coquette *More details
Series
Edition
P-Wave Classics edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
P-Wave Press
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 111 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-916937-25-3 (9781916937253)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2026
P-Wave Classics
€7.49
Available for download
Persons
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.
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.
Content
Biographical Introduction
Editorial Note
Introduction
THE COQUETTE
Hannah Webster Foster
THE ROMANCE OF THE ASSOCIATION
Caroline Wells Healey Dall
About P-Wave Classics
From P-Wave Classics
P-Wave Press
Editorial Note
Introduction
THE COQUETTE
Hannah Webster Foster
THE ROMANCE OF THE ASSOCIATION
Caroline Wells Healey Dall
About P-Wave Classics
From P-Wave Classics
P-Wave Press