The Adventures of an Ugly Girl (1893) is a novel by Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett. While she is mostly remembered today for New Amazonia, a feminist utopian novel which depicts the emergence of an advanced society of women in the not-so-distant future, Corbett was also a pioneering romance and detective novelist. While little is known about Corbett, her surviving novels and stories suggest she was a passionate campaigner for women’s suffrage in an era of conservative politics and traditional values. “‘Why, what does it matter how your hair is dressed, or what sort of a gown you put on? You may just as well spare your pains, for unfortunately nothing that you can do seems to mitigate your ugliness. I’m sure I cannot think where you get it.’” Dora Courtenay is moments away from meeting her new stepmother, but can’t find anything proper to wear for the occasion. Despite her sister Belle’s constant bullying, she finds the confidence to get herself dressed and, with her brother Jerry’s encouragement, goes downstairs to finish preparing the dining room for their guest. As her father and his new bride wait in the next room, Dora, unaware of their presence, makes a crude joke about Lady Elizabeth, only to discover that her insult, however innocent, was overheard. Despite this blunder, the two start off on even ground, leading Dora to believe that she could grow to admire her new stepmother. Soon, however, her step grandfather the Earl of Greatlands makes a surprising request: he would like to marry her, making Dora a Countess.

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