Summer 1769. Eccentric, wealthy English gentleman Thomas Day knew exactly the kind of woman he wanted to marry. Unfortunately he could not find her in the drawing rooms of fashionable 18th-century society. So Day came up with an extraordinary idea. He took two girls, aged 11 and 12 from the Foundling Hospital in order to educate them and choose the best candidate for his wife. Inevitably, Day's plan did not go well.  

'In this enthralling, brilliantly researched book, Wendy Moore has uncovered a story so weird that you have to keep reminding yourself that it actually happened'

Mail on Sunday