Includes bibliographical references (pages xix-xx)

When Sir Thomas Bertram decides to bring up his poor niece Fanny with his own children, he introduces into Mansfield Park a strong character of good sense. Fanny is acutely aware of her inferior status, yet she dares to love Edmund Bertram from afar. But with five marriageable young people on the premises, the peace at Mansfield cannot last. Courtships, parties, and intrigues throw the place into turmoil, and Fanny finds herself unwillingly competing with a dazzlingly witty and lovely rival