An Odd Attempt in a Woman: The Literary Life of Frances Brooke

Frances Brooke, the author of Canada’s first novel, The History of Emily Montague , was an eighteenth-century English essayist, novelist, and playwright. Although she spent most of her life in London, her sojourn in Quebec inspired her to write a novel with a Canadian setting, which earned her a firm place in Canadian literary history. In describing Frances Brooke and her work, Lorraine McMullen conveys a vivid picture of a woman of spirit and determination as well as talent. She also recreates the brilliant world of eighteenth-century London in which Brooke moved.