Louisa Stuart Costello (1799–1870) was a poet and artist who supported her family with her paintings. As well as writing a number of historical novels, Costello researched and wrote the biographies of many prominent women, using their letters and diaries to tell their extraordinary stories. The four volumes cover notable women of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, the late seventeenth century and the early eighteenth century. The volumes are full of fascinating detail and colour and provide an intimate portrayal of life in early modern England. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=costlo