Sophia Priscilla Lee, author of fiction and plays and headmistress of a successful school, is chiefly remembered for her novel

The Recess

(1783-85). A bestseller in its own time, it remains an exciting page-turner that narrates the adventures of twin heroines among most of the notable persons of Queen Elizabeth’s court. It was the first novel in England to combine romance and sentiment with a vivid historical background.

Sophia Lee was born in London in 1750, the second of the five children of two busy actors, John and Anna Sophia Lee. They played leading roles in theaters all over the British Isles, and for some years John managed companies in Edinburgh and Bath. It was an unsettled existence, with the family never living in one city longer than six years until they finally settled in

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Citation: Rogers, Katharine. "Sophia Lee". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 January 2008; last revised 30 August 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2675, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2675 Sophia Lee 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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