The lady in the magnificent hat is Frances Burney, who was born on this day in 1752. Also known as Fanny Burney and after marriage as Madame d’Arblay, she was born in King’s Lynn, England, on 13 June 1752, to musical historian Dr. Charles Burney and Mrs. Esther Sleepe Burney. The third of six children, she was self-educated, and began writing what she called her “scribblings” at the age of ten.

She was married in 1793 at forty-two, to a French exile, General Alexandre D'Arblay. Their only son, Alexander, was born in 1794. After a lengthy writing career, and travels that took her to France for over ten years, she settled in Bath, England, where she died on 6 January 1840.

Frances Burney’s wickedly funny eighteenth century best-seller Evelina follows the trials and romantic adventures of a young beauty as she tries to make her way through Eighteenth Century Britain handicapped by her three great problems, being poor, being illegitimate – and being a girl. This unabridged and exclusive audio book, read by Finty Williams, Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, is available only from silksoundbooks.com