The Woman's Historical Novel

"In this, the first major study of British women writers' appropriation and re-visioning of this central literary genre, Diana Wallace explores the development of a female version of the historical novel, revealing it to be one of the most important forms of women's reading and writing in the twentieth century. This study combines a comprehensive survey with detailed readings of key writers, including Georgette Heyer, Naomi Mitchison, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Daphne du Maurier, Margaret Irwin, Mary Renault, 'Jean Plaidy', Dorothy Dunnett, Catherine Cookson, Mary Stewart, Philippa Gregory, A.S. Byatt and Pat Barker."--Jacket.