Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849) was an Anglo-Irish novelist who wrote for both adults and children, and she was one of the first realist writers in children's literature. She was best known for Castle Rackrent, her first novel, which traces the decline of a landed family through the voice of an Irish Catholic narrator, and she also wrote The Absentee. Edgeworth corresponded with writers such as Walter Scott and the economic writer David Ricardo.
