| The first novelist in Canada (and in North America) was a woman. Playright, essayist, librettist, stage director and novelist, Frances Brooke (died 1789) was well-known in London literary and theatre circles. In 1763, she embarked for Quebec to join her husband, an army chaplain. During her stay, which ended in 1768, she wrote The History of Emily Montague (1769). This novel, inspired by the Brooke's life in Quebec, is a series of fictitious letters containing humourous comments on politics, religion, society and the landscape. Catherine Read (1723-1778) was a London portrait artist of Scottish descent. In an age dominated by men she specilized in portraits of women. Oil on canvas
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