The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton

A spirited heroine. A dangerous flirtation. A society unwilling to forgive.

Published anonymously in 1797, The Coquette quickly became one of the most widely read novels of early America. Inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Whitman—an intelligent and accomplished young woman whose tragic death became a national scandal—Hannah Webster Foster’s epistolary novel explores the pressures placed on women in a world that offers them few real choices.

Eliza Wharton is recently released from an unwanted engagement and eager to enjoy her freedom. But her charm and independence attract unwanted scrutiny, especially when she becomes the object of attention from both a respectable clergyman and a dangerously attractive libertine. As the letters fly and public judgement closes in, Eliza’s story becomes a subtle but powerful meditation on reputation, agency and the human cost of social conformity.

This P-Wave Classics edition includes:

• The full text of Foster’s original 1797 novel
• The 1855 Historical Preface by Jane E. Locke
• Caroline Wells Healey Dall’s 1875 response, The Romance of the Association

Together, they offer a rare glimpse into the literary afterlife of The Coquette and the fierce cultural debate surrounding the woman who inspired it.

Edited with notes and an introduction by L. A. Davenport.

Our classics are produced as comfortable reading editions, with compact A-format paperbacks, readable type, standard paperback paper and, where appropriate, the original volume structure restored. They are designed to make classic literature feel fresh, accessible and a pleasure to read.

Explore the themes, context and continuing relevance of The Coquette in our series of essays:

• Reading The Coquette in 2026: Reputation, restraint and the limits of female freedom. Why Hannah Webster Foster’s novel still resonates in a world where freedom is often promised but not always lived.
• From Scandal to Story: How Elizabeth Whitman Became Eliza Wharton. The real-life tragedy behind the novel, and how a private life became a public narrative.
• Letters, Privacy and the Public Eye: How the epistolary form shapes reputation—and why the world of letters feels strikingly modern in the age of digital communication.
• The Many Meanings of Eliza Wharton: How the novel has been judged, debated and reinterpreted for over two centuries—and what that reveals about how women’s lives are still read today.

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"I had never heard of Elizabeth Whitman. I’m glad I picked this story out for the history in it. I would highly recommend reading it." Susan B, NetGalley.

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"A very interesting and enjoyable read… fascinating to see how the letters went from being joyous and spirited in the beginning, to more depressed and bleak at the end; it really engrossed me, especially as Eliza Wharton and her experiences were based on a real person… I am very glad I read this book… I will not forget it now." Mouse T, NetGalley.

Hannah Webster Foster (1758–1840) was an American novelist, essayist and advocate for women's education. Raised in Massachusetts and well-educated for her time, she wrote anonymously on moral and social topics before publishing her influential epistolary novel The Coquette (1797), based on the real-life tragedy of Elizabeth Whitman. The novel explores themes of reputation, female agency and societal constraint, and became one of early America’s most widely read works. Her second novel, The Boarding School (1798), promoted rational education for girls. Though she later withdrew from public authorship, Foster’s works continue to be read for their insight into the challenges facing women in the early American republic.

L. A. Davenport, born in Cork, Ireland, in 1973, is a novelist and short story writer whose works include The Nucleus of Reality, Escape, and No Way Home. A graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he brings extensive experience in medical journalism to his insightful and engaging fiction and non-fiction.

Learn more about L. A. Davenport and his writing at Pushing the Wave.