"'Adela Cathcart' is a delightful book. Written in purest English, quaint, sparkling, and graceful, anon delighting us with flashes of humour, or winning us with true and subtle pathos, it may at once take up its position among the masterpieces of modern English fiction."—Sunday Times.
"There is much freshness and originality of conception about this book. Fraulein Fink, with her school and her literary tattle, the chaplain and his family, the professors and the thousand and one little touches which make up the picture of every-day easy genial life in Germany, have much of the picturesque force and vivid reality of 'Villette.'"—Saturday Review.
"Since Mrs. Stowe's 'Uncle Tom' we have had no tale of a similar nature so true, so life-like, till the present publication of 'Peculiar.'"—Observer.
"It is not often that we light upon a new novel of so much merit and interest as 'Barbara's History.' It is a work conspicuous beyond the average for taste and literary culture, and felicitous in its delineation of some very delicate and refined shades of character. It is a very graceful and charming book, with a well-managed story, clearly-cut characters, and sentiments expressed with an exquisite elocution. The dialogues especially sparkle with repartee. It is a book which the world will like, and which those who commence it will care to finish. This is high praise of a work of art, and so we intend it."—The Times.
"If Miss Edwards goes on writing such stories as 'Barbara's History,' she will on some bright day of a lucky season wake up and find herself famous. Miss Edwards has qualities superior to mere literary facility; she has humour, insight into character, and an extensive knowledge of books. We give her full credit for having written a thoroughly-readable and deeply-interesting novel."—Athenæum.
"An excellent tale, imbued with the strongest interest."—Daily News.