First serialized in the early 1860’s, Love's Labor Won is a novel set in the early days of American independence, spanning from the end of George Washington’s presidency through the War of 1812, though its historical backdrop is of limited significance to the actual plot. The focus of the story is on its characters and their relationships, and in particular on the corrosive effects of a single secret across two generations of a family. Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (1819–1899) was an American writer of more than 60 novels in the latter part of the 19th century. She was one of the most popular American novelist of her day. In her novels, her heroines often challenge modern perceptions of Victorian feminine domesticity by showing virtue as naturally allied to wit, adventure, and rebellion to remedy any unfortunate situation.