Celestina

Blurb

Celestina is an eighteenth-century English novel and poet Charlotte Turner Smith’s third novel. Published in 1791 by Thomas Cadell, the novel tells the story of an adopted orphan who discovers the secret of her parentage and marries the man she loves. It is a courtship novel that follows the typical Cinderella plot while still commenting on contemporary political issues.
Celestina is a satire of traditional English class and gender assumptions, particularly the idea that nobility is connected to rank or wealth. The heroine's worth lies in her "enlightened human soul"; she is valuable in and of herself. As a model for young readers, Celestina was liberating—she was independent and assertive. While Celestina is a heroine of sensibility who relies on her feelings to develop sympathy for others, it is the hero, Willoughby, who is the most sentimental of all, reversing the stereotypical association of strong emotions with femininity. In this novel, it is the women who remain strong and the men who are prey to their feelings.
Throughout the novel, Smith included portraits of herself and her husband.