| The Regency debutante comes in very handy for | | | | among the English rich. Most of the time, they, |
| authors like me, even though she is as individual | | | | too, had money and therefore were supremely |
| as the writers who create her. She can appear in | | | | 'qualified' to join the "marriage mart." But they |
| just about all shapes and sizes--within a | | | | might also be hiding a bankruptcy--it wasn't |
| framework of having the ability to attract "Mr. | | | | always easy to discover the truth in those days |
| Right," of course. (In other words, she can be | | | | of slow travel and communication (by today's |
| anything as long as it's attractive enough for the | | | | standards). |
| purposes of a romance.) | | | | Likewise, any country miss and her mama might |
| Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is | | | | aspire to a London "season" and there was |
| being able to understand and relate to the heroine; | | | | always the chance of making an astounding |
| therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways | | | | success. (You see how it easily makes for the |
| and definitely lacking in others; she must be | | | | stuff of romance novels?) |
| attractive but not so perfect that you can't | | | | So the Regency Debutante was any young lady |
| believe in her; she must strike a chord in every | | | | of gentle birth making her "come out" into the |
| female reader who picks up your book, and any | | | | wider society of adults of her community; If she |
| writer can create such a character simply by | | | | were wealthy or could gather enough financial |
| making her human. That is the one thing we ALL | | | | backing, (or had good connections) she could |
| have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles | | | | make that debut into London or Bath society, |
| and faults. | | | | circles where the possibility of making a good |
| But what is a Regency debutante? How is she | | | | match (marriage) were greater. |
| different from other fictional heroines? | | | | Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their |
| A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is "a | | | | heroines, but to understand what "the season" |
| young woman making a formal debut into | | | | was about, one must recognize this formal female |
| society." In our case, it is Regency society, which | | | | creature! She often was not in for fun and |
| is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. | | | | games, despite the whirl of social entertainments |
| No other time period was quite like the Regency; | | | | on her schedule, but if she happened to be |
| Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at | | | | pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then |
| it while also caring about those who were part of | | | | upper class society was sure to welcome her in. |
| it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to | | | | Another aspect that makes Regencies so |
| really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting | | | | enjoyable is the clothing needed for the |
| plots full of characters plucked from many layers | | | | debutante's season. The quantity AND the |
| of that society. | | | | quality--it all counted, and it all makes for fun |
| The interesting thing about the debutante of the | | | | reading. That, along with descriptions of social |
| Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from | | | | customs and manners, makes delving into the era |
| anywhere. Families came from abroad for the | | | | an experience you will likely want to do again and |
| 'season' to debut their favored young ladies | | | | again. |