Lee unfolds the stories of six women with a cast of supporting characters such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Benjamin Franklin, Stamford Raffles and Napoleon against the grand narrative of England's 18th century empire building. This book is a meticulously researched, spellbinding tale of tragedy, transformation and triumph in the age of reason.

'The stories told by Debbie Lee in Romatic Liars - of women who led fake lives and fooled a great many people - are extraordinary.' - Sharon Ruston, Times Literary Supplement

List of Illustrations
Preface
Crossings
The Goddess and the Anorexic
The Gentleman, the Witch, and the Beauty
The Governor and the Princess
Afterward
Notes
Bibliography

DEBBIE LEE is Assistant Professor of English, Washington State University, USA.