Ann Veronica

An introduction by the author of The Duchess explores why Wells's classic tale of one woman's fight against the stifling conventions of Edwardian England is as relevant today as in 1909 Stong-willed, reckless, and fiercely independent, Ann Veronica Stanley is determined to be a "Person," to work, love, and, above all, to live. Walking away from her stifling father and the social conventions of her time, she leaves drab suburbia for Edwardian London and encounters an unknown world of suffragettes, Fabians, and free love. But it is only when she meets the charismatic Capes that she truly confronts the meaning of her new found freedom. Exploring the conflict between female empowerment and the sacrifices people make for love, this novel caused a sensation—damned in the press and preached against from the pulpits—when it was first published in 1909, due to Wells' groundbreaking treatment of female sexuality.