FIRST EDITION. Two volumes. 8vo. (7.6 x 4.8 inches). The authors own copy of her first book, extra illustrated with 51 plates and specially bound in beautiful full red calf bindings with fully gilt spines, each with three black labels, gilt. Boards with four gilt ruled lines and decorative gilt panel within, plus blind tooled ruled and dotted lines. Board edges with decorative gilt roll. Gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. The authors own bookplate to the front pastedown endpapers of both volumes. Illustrated with three plates, as called for on the contents pages, plus Vol. 1 has 21 extra plates bound in, mostly portraits but including 1 original pencil drawing, 1 hand coloured plate and four leaves of signature facsimiles. Vol. 2 has a total of 30 extra plates, including 11 leaves of facsimile signatures, the rest portraits and views. The bindings are unsigned but of the highest standard. Some light rubbing to the extremities and a small (1 inch long) area of loss to the surface leather on the front board of volume one but overall very good and atttarctive bindings. Emily Sarah Holt (1836 - 1893) was a prolific novelist, mainly of historical fiction, with women and girls as leading characters, and promoting the idea that marriage was not the only option for them and they could pursue their own paths. Her writing is noted for her meticulous research and attention to historical detail, albeit written from a Protestant viewpoint. ---- More photos available on request.