Project Gutenberg 2023-02-11 Public domain in the USA. 154 Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia) 1810 1886 Stephens, Ann Sophia Winterbotham Slick, Jonathan The reigning belle : $b A society novel $aUnited States :$bT.B. Peterson & Brothers, $c1885. Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "The Reigning Belle" by Ann S. Stephens is a romantic and dramatic society novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative centers around Eva Laurence, a beautiful shop girl caught in a web of intrigue, and Mrs. Lambert, a prominent society belle, with themes of class differences and romantic entanglements permeating the story. The book promises a mix of humor and tension as its characters navigate the complexities of love and rivalry within the fashionable circles of New York society. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to Eva Laurence in a lavish showroom, showcasing her beauty amidst luxurious fabric displays. As she interacts with Mrs. Lambert and her entourage, her unease and humiliation become apparent when she is put on display for their scrutiny. The opening chapters also hint at Eva's family struggles, providing context for her aspirations and the sacrifices she endures. A parallel narrative develops with little James Laurence, Eva's brother, who embarks on a journey to support his family, highlighting the novel's exploration of resilience amid hardship. This blend of personal and societal challenges sets the stage for a gripping tale of ambition, romance, and class conflict. (This is an automatically generated summary.) https://archive.org/details/reigningbellesoc00step 20210125204836stephens 1885 US Reading ease score: 82.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Young women -- Fiction New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction PS Text Category: Romance Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: American Literature 846201 2025-07-27T14:20:53.230514 text/html 842693 2023-02-11T20:02:25 text/html 566754 2025-07-27T14:21:09.909981 application/epub+zip 567357 2025-07-27T14:20:56.104525 application/epub+zip 516931 2025-07-27T14:20:54.559542 application/epub+zip 1104144 2025-07-27T14:21:17.876929 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1068562 2025-07-27T14:21:08.238978 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 695548 2025-07-27T14:20:50.017597 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 695311 2023-02-11T20:02:25 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18745 2025-07-27T14:21:18.054890 application/rdf+xml 19096 2025-07-27T14:20:54.842526 image/jpeg 2507 2025-07-27T14:20:54.703505 image/jpeg 239628 2023-02-11T20:02:26 application/octet-stream application/zip 1158489 2023-02-11T20:02:26 application/octet-stream application/zip 1219306 2025-07-27T14:20:53.295536 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia