A Life Marketed as Fiction

The book presents a critical reassessment of Eliza Parsons, a significant yet overlooked late eighteenth-century author who turned to novel writing at fifty to support her family after her husband's death. With a remarkable output of nineteen novels across over sixty volumes, Parsons is primarily recognized for her contributions to the "horrid novels" referenced by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey, highlighting her impact on the literary landscape of her time.