The Massarenes by Ouida

Ouida (real name: Maria Louise Ramé) was a particularly vocal opponent of the New Woman despite creating numerous example of the type during her prolific writing career. The Massarenes (1897) is a powerful satire on the consumer society of the 1890s and the superficial values of high society. It centres on the Massarene family and their entrance into Society via despicable means. William Massarene’s daughter, Katherine, rejects such ill-gotten gains, however, and follows her own path.