Harrington (novel)

The novel was written in response to a letter from a Jewish-American reader who complained about Edgeworth's stereotypically anti-semitic portrayals of Jews in Castle Rackrent (1800), Belinda (1801), The Absentee (1812), and her Moral Tales (1801) for children.

[1] The novel is an autobiography of a "recovering anti-Semite", whose youthful prejudices are undone by contact with various Jewish characters, particularly a young woman.

The story shifts to a romance novel with the introduction of Berenice Montenero, an American Jew who moved to England with her wealthy father.

As revenge, Mowbray brings charges of insanity against Harrington, a situation further compounded by his family threatening to disown him.

This strange courtship is concluded with the revelation by Mr. Montenero, "I have tried you to the utmost, and am satisfied both of the steadiness of your principles and of the strength of your attachment to my daughter-Berenice is not a Jewess.