A Fair Mystery: The Story of a Coquette

"A Fair Mystery: The Story of a Coquette" by Charlotte M. Brame is a tale of hardship and destiny, where love and beauty clash against the harsh realities of social class. Mark and Patty Brace face financial ruin on their farm, a situation worsened by Mark's mistake of trusting the wrong person. Their lives are upended when they find Doris, an abandoned baby, on their doorstep accompanied by a promise of money for her care. The novel explores the challenges of having Doris, who is hinted to be of higher social standing, compared to their biological daughter, Mattie, and also shows how the characters deal with social expectations when personal integrity is at stake.