This novels tells the story of orphan siblings left young in the care of a gentleman. When a brother and sister are older they must leave their guardian and make their own way out in the world, Horatio as a soldier and Louisa as a lady's companion. They travel to various battlefields and courts of Europe. They both experience new surprising customs in other lands, new passions, influences, adventures and love. In this novel the author explores different customs in the changing European countries (especially those that might benefit women) and different political views in other lands at that time.

Eliza Haywood (1693-1756), was an English writer, actress and publisher. Haywood is a significant figure of the 18th century as one of the important founders of the novel in English. Eliza Haywood's prolific works, seen as "the fair triumvirate of wit", moved from titillating romance novels to the amatory during the early 1720s to works, focusing more on "women's rights and position". An increase in interest and recognition of Haywood's literary works began in the 1980s