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This book is mentioned by the narrator in Northanger Abbey's digression on the value of novels. Maria Edgeworth's heroine Belinda is sent to live with fashionable Lady Delacour hop ing to find a wealthy and respected husband. Under the influence of Lady Delacour and Lady Anne Percival, she develops an independent spirit reminiscent of Mary Wollstonecraft. The novel includes an interracial marriage and a rich West Indian Creole whom Belinda almost marries in this earlier edition. The interracial marriage was edited out for later editions, probably by Edgeworth's father. Edgeworth's forthright women and the emphasis on happy marriages over marriage for love may have influenced Austen. Digireads. 2021. Paper. NEW. $13.00 Show more