Evelina, Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World

Evelina or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World is a novel written by English author Fanny Burney and first published in 1778. In this 3-volume sentimental novel, Evelina is the unacknowledged but legitimate daughter of a dissipated English aristocrat and thus has been raised in rural seclusion until her 17th year. Through a series of humorous events that take place in London and the resort town of Hotwells, near Bristol, Evelina learns to navigate the complex layers of 18th-century society and come under the eye of a distinguished nobleman with whom a romantic relationship is formed in the latter part of the novel.