Foreword by Cathy N. Davidson. Introduction by Dana D. Nelson. Rebecca Rush [1779-1850], a contemporary of Austen, was an early American writer. She set her story in Philadelphia, and explores the limited options available to women at the time. Mrs. Hammond, suddenly left penniless by the death of her husband, sees her only available resource as her two unmarried daughters. Through the plight of these two young women the reader learns about political, social, class, and gender restrictions. This book was published in 1812, during the time Austen's novels were beginning to appear in print. Early American Women Writers Series. Oxford University Press. Paper. 1992. VG. USED. $10.00.