Maria Edgeworth

This new book offers a critical introduction to the full scope of Edgeworth's writing, encompassing her whole career and a broad range of her extensive oeuvre.

Maria Edgeworth made a significant contribution to three different but interlinked areas: education, the representation of Ireland, and the representation of women's experiences and characters. Clíona Ó Gallchoir provides a lucid and accessible introduction to each area of Edgeworth's work - and offers students in particular an overview of her work that encompasses its full range and incorporates the insights of contemporary criticism.

Particular focus is given to her Irish fiction, her examination of women's lives and roles, and her work in education and children's literature. An introductory chapter outlines the key historical and cultural contexts as well as establishing the central intellectual questions with which Edgeworth engaged, and which offer threads of continuity in a diverse body of work.