"Afterword"

Margaret Morganroth Gullette. “Afterword," The Daughters of Danaus by Mona Caird. NY: Feminist Press of CUNY, 1989. Introduction by Elaine Showalter.

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This brilliantly witty novel (1894) follows the lives of two sisters in a wealthy Scots family. One escapes to a profession in London and eventually a decent marriage while the heroine, Hadria, vows to become a composer in Paris, but is thwarted. The Daughters of Danaus reveals the power of marriage and the family hold in controlling the lives of talented, spirited women; but unlike other oppressed heroines of the period, Hadria and her feminism both survive. The books includes a trailblazing essay on marriage published by Caird, a visionary novelist and social critic.

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"A trailblazer in feminist literature, this novel was first published nearly 100 years ago."

— Library Journal

"Feminists of the 1890s have much to say to feminists of the 1990s. The extraordinary detective work and critical acumen of Margaret Gullette have restored Mona Caird's The Daughters of Danaus to the canon of 'New Women' literature. The Daughters of Danaus is an important and welcome edition."

— Elaine Showalter

"Mona Caird is a treasure in whose rediscovery we can truly rejoice. Caird, her heroine Hadria, and her editor Margaret Gullette, speak eloquently of women's strengths we can emulate."

— Mary Anne Ferguson