March Series of the Month: The Queens of Society

 

"Lord Dorchester, however, did not leave his daughter alone, and when a more complaisant suitor with a handsomer income offered himself, briefly commanded her to marry him. To disobey such an order was then the height of undutiful conduct; yet so great was the disgust which Lady Mary entertained for the gentleman proposed that she ventured to write to her father, offering not to marry at all rather than to unite with him. The furious parent sent for his daughter, and told her that she must marry him at once, or consent to pass the rest of her days, while he lived, in retirement in a remote part of the country."
                  -- From Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

First published in 1861, The Queens of Society by Katherine Byerley Thomson is a replica of the beautifully illustrated 1890 second edition. It will delight readers of aristocratic lives and fans of modern fabulosity. This charming two-volume collection is a collection of biographies of some of the most marvelous women of their day. This series will delight readers of aristocratic lives and fans of modern fabulosity and is perfect for those interested in history, women's rights, and of course, for those celebrating International Women’s Day this month.

A queen of society is a woman who, by force of her reputation, good management, abilities, manners, and even her rank and fortune commands a circle of persons of eminence, of fashion, and of celebrity. So say "Grace and Philip Wharton" -- a dual pseudonym for one writer, British author Katherine Byerley Thomson.

In Volume I we meet:
- Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough
- Madame Roland
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
- Letitia Elizabeth Landon
- Madame de Sévigné
- Sydney Lady Morgan
- Jane, Duchess of Gordon

In Volume II we meet:
- Lady Hervey
- Mrs. Thrale-Piozzi
- Lady Caroline Lamb
- Anne Seymour Damer
- La Marquise du Deffand
- Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu
- Mary, Countess of Pembroke
- La Marquise de Maintenon
- and many, many more!

About the Author
Katherine Byerley Thomson (1797-1862) also wrote the three-volume Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745.

The paperback retail list price for this two-volume set is: $25.98,  our price now is: $19.99 (you save $5.99 or a 23 percent discount) and free shipping.