Charlotte Riddell

Charlotte Riddell (1832-1906), the youngest daughter of the High Sheriff of Co. Antrim, was one of the most successful novelists of the Victorian period. Riddell’s writing is informed by a loss of comfort and social standing experienced as a young woman upon the death of her father and subsequent move to London, where she struggled to make a living for herself and her ailing mother through her literary talents. At last she found support through a small publisher, and throughout her career, spanning half a century, Riddell produced over fifty works including novels and short stories. Like an Irish Jane Austen, Riddell is master of witty observation.