The Cottagers of Glenburnie: And Other Educational Writing

With vivid depictions and biting satires of Scottish peasant life, this lively and entertaining novel skillfully discusses and dissects class issues, British imperialism, and war. Also included are three examples of Hamilton's nonfiction, which, combined with this tale, show that despite her ostensibly simple plot and style, she brings together the political and social concerns of the day. Writing in the late 18th and early 19th century, Elizabeth Hamilton produced fiction, satire, comical sketches, philosophical essays, historical biography, theological treatises, and essays on educational theory, and this narrative is her best known work.

Elizabeth Hamilton is the author of Hints Addressed to the Patrons and Directors of Public Schools; Letters on Education; Life of Agrippina, Wife of Germanicus; Memoirs of Modern Philosophers; and Popular Essays on the Elementary Principles of the Human Mind. Pamela Perkins is an English professor at the University of Manitoba and a leading scholar on Elizabeth Hamilton. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.