author
Susan Ferrier
1782–1854
A sharp-eyed Scottish novelist, she turned the manners and ambitions of early 19th-century society into witty, memorable fiction. Her books blend social comedy with a clear, often pointed interest in women's lives and education.
1 Audiobook
Marriage
by Susan Ferrier
About the author
Born in Edinburgh on September 7, 1782, Susan Edmonstone Ferrier became one of Scotland's best-known novelists of the 19th century. She grew up in a well-connected family and moved in literary circles that included Sir Walter Scott, yet she published her novels anonymously.
Ferrier is best remembered for three novels: Marriage (1818), The Inheritance (1824), and Destiny; or, The Chief's Daughter (1831). Her fiction is known for its lively pictures of Scottish life, its satirical take on social pretension, and its unusually direct interest in how girls and women were shaped by family expectations and education.
She spent much of her life in Edinburgh and died there on November 5, 1854. Though she lived quietly, her novels remained popular for many years and are still valued for their humor, strong observation, and vivid sense of place.