Wanderings of a beauty : $b A tale of the real and the ideal

"Wanderings of a Beauty: A Tale of the Real and the Ideal" by Mrs. Edwin James is a 19th-century novel about Evelyn Travers, a beautiful and gifted young woman, and her journey through the challenges of love, dreams, and what society expects of her, as seen through the eyes of her close friend, Mary Mildmay, Evelyn fights against restrictions from her family and the world as she tries to find her own happiness. The story begins by considering how beauty can be a curse, drawing readers in with this idea. The author shows the beginning of Evelyn and Mary's close bond, as well as Evelyn's return home to a complicated family life, and highlights her mother's preference for her half-siblings, suggesting the difficulties Evelyn will face in marriage and society. The detailed descriptions of characters and places hint at how the story explores themes like friendship, social rules, and the conflict between dreams and reality in love.