The Coquette, Or The History of Eliza Wharton

De: Hannah Webster Foster

Narrado por: Laura Orlando

This best-selling novel by Hannah Webster Foster (1758-1840) is a fictionalized account of the death of an upper class woman after giving birth to a stillborn, illegitimate child at a tavern. Published anonymously in 1797, it did not appear under Foster’s name until after her death. It was a huge success in its time and had eight reprints between 1824 and 1828.

Museum Audiobooks strives to present audiobook versions of authentic, unabridged historical texts from prior eras which contain a variety of points of view. The texts do not represent the views or opinions of Museum Audiobooks, and in certain cases may contain perspectives or language that is objectionable to the modern listener.

Public Domain (P)2019 Museum Audiobooks

An Insightful Journey in Time

I had to read this book for one of my college courses but ended up loving every second of it! Eliza’s journey is still relatable this day and age. The series of letters that make up this book take you back into what the world of society and etiquette was like back in the day. Some people aspire to get to the high of society through wealth, while the others through virtue and sophistication.
I started by not having the time to pick up the book so I listened to this audiobook. The narrator changed her voices so you could tell who the letter was from before the signature was announced. I ended up reading along with a paper copy as I became more involved with Eliza’s story and am happy I came upon the audiobook before hand. Some of the letters do not depict the dialogue well, and if it weren’t for the narrator’s voice guiding me along, I would have gotten lost along the way since you would never be able to tell who was speaking otherwise.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking refuge into the heartbreakingly, romantic world of years way back in the day to follow Eliza’s life as she grows and falls, but learns all the while.