Susanna Rowson Libri

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, the novel follows the tragic journey of Lucy Temple, the daughter of the abandoned Charlotte Temple. After Lieutenant John Montraville seduces Charlotte, she leaves her life behind, only to face betrayal and hardship in a foreign land. The story explores themes of innocence, seduction, and the consequences of choices, shedding light on women's sexuality in literature. This edition reintroduces Rowson's poignant narrative, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary readers while maintaining its historical significance.

Charlotte Temple became a "best seller," going through over 200 editions and holding the title of the most popular American novel until Uncle Tom's Cabin . The story follows a beautiful English girl, Charlotte, who, at 15, elopes with British lieutenant Montraville. After arriving in America, Montraville abandons her to marry another woman and leaves for the Revolutionary War. Desperate and pregnant, Charlotte seeks out the corrupt French teacher who encouraged her relationship with Montraville. Rejected, she finds refuge with her servant. Charlotte's father, a nobleman with a tarnished fortune, arrives just in time to bury his daughter and claim her illegitimate child. Although there is no historical evidence to support the story's claims, Susanna Rowson maintained it was true, and it was embraced as a "tale of truth." In the 19th century, a tombstone with Charlotte's name was erected in New York's Trinity Churchyard, where readers left flowers, locks of hair, and love letters for America's most famous fictional character. Cathy N. Davidson's introduction explores the book's immense popularity and Rowson's sensational life, which rivaled her characters' stories.