A Gentlewoman Scholar


Book Description

Three Victorian romance novellas




A Gentlewoman Scholar


Book Description

Three women scholars. Three lives changed. And a dash of romance. Blessing in Disguise by Sarah M. Eden 1858, Dublin Fred Fitzsimmons will soon graduate Trinity College. With only a few weeks, he must continue safeguarding the enormous secret he's been keeping throughout his time in Dublin: that he is actually Winnifred, a woman in disguise. The medical degree she is a breath away from claiming would allow her to save her beloved village. But having her secret revealed would land her in jail. So when Liam Rafferty, a fellow student with a reputation for unravelling even the most complicated of mysteries, grows suspicious of "Fred," more lives than merely hers hang in the balance. An Unexpected Education by Michele Paige Holmes Nineteen-year-old Esther Sessions has survived the slums of Liverpool, and her abusive home, by holding onto a promise she made to her dying mother long ago--to keep reading. When a factory explosion frees her from her oppressive life and provides an opportunity to attend Bedford Women's College in London, Esther determines to succeed at school, knowing her education will ensure a future in which she might provide for herself and never be dependent upon any man. From the first moments of her arrival, Professor John Lind begins challenging her beliefs about everything from classical literature to algebra to--men. His kindness is something she has never encountered in a man before, and the generosity of his heart might just reach through the barriers surrounding Esther's. Good Heir Hunting by Nancy Campbell Allen Ellie Perkins has achieved her dream of establishing her own Kindergarten school to serve the needs of Liverpool's orphans. As a woman who has graduated from college and pursued a career, she has faced opposition and contention from all sides. Her first year is a success, however, and as she begins the second, she is caught by surprise when her newest hire marries and moves away, leaving a class of orphans without a teacher. Solicitor Graham Lucas, meanwhile, appears on her school doorstep, having narrowed a search for his employer's heir to one of the students in the now teacher-less class. Ellie sees a temporary fix to her problem that will benefit both her and the handsome solicitor. Graham will substitute the kindergarten class, while Ellie searches for a replacement. Unbeknownst to them all, however, is the lurking presence of a jealous relative who covets the young heir's position, and who will stop at nothing to take his place. Also at risk is Ellie's heart and hard-won career. Can she truly take a chance on a handsome substitute teacher bent on winning her love?




The gentlewoman's remembrance


Book Description

A microhistory of a never-married English gentlewoman named Elizabeth Isham, this book centres on an extremely rare piece of women's writing - a recently discovered 60,000-word spiritual autobiography held in Princeton's manuscript collections that she penned around 1639. The autobiography is unmatched in providing an inside view of her family relations, her religious beliefs, her reading habits and, most sensationally, the reasons why she chose never to marry despite desires to the contrary held by her male kin, particularly Sir John Isham, her father. Based on the autobiography, combined with extensive research of the Isham family papers now housed at the county record office in Northampton, this book restores our historical memory of Elizabeth and her female relations, expanding our understanding and knowledge about patriarchy, piety and singlehood in early modern England.
















The Quest for Gentility in China


Book Description

The quest for gentility has shaped Chinese civilization and the formation of culture in China until the present day. This book analyzes social aspirations and cultural practices in China from 1550 to 1999, showing how the notion of gentility has evolved and retained its relevance in China from late imperial times until the modern day. Gentility denotes the way of the gentleman and gentlewoman. The concept of gentility transcends the categories of gender and class and provides important new insights into the ways Chinese men and women lived their lives, perceived their world and constructed their cultural environment. In contrast to analyses of the elite, perceptions of gentility relate to ideals, ambitions, desires, social capital, cultural sophistication, literary refinement, aesthetic appreciation, moral behaviour, femininity and gentlemanly elegance, rather than to actual status or power. Twelve international leading scholars present multi-disciplinary approaches to explore the images, artefacts and transmission of gentility across the centuries in historical and literary situations, popular and high culture, private and official documents, poetry clubs, garden culture and aesthetic guidebooks. This volume changes the ways we look at Chinese cultural history, literature, women and gender issues and offers new perspectives on Chinese sources.




Lavengro: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest


Book Description

Embark on a captivating journey with "Lavengro: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest." Penned by George Borrow, this novel intertwines the worlds of scholars, Romanies, and the clergy, offering readers a rich tapestry of English life and culture. Set against the backdrop of England, this work is a testament to Borrow's literary prowess and his keen insights into society's diverse facets.