This is the spirited story of a survivor whose racy anecdotes and shady dealings only underline her essential warmth and goodness. But there is nothing sentimental about Moll, who presents herself warts and all. Though her adventures take her abroad, she remains the vivid creation of London. Moll Flanders, pickpocket and prostitute–a mercantile genius trading in the oldest human commodity–has been for the past three centuries an enduring representative...

This Norton Critical Edition of 'Moll Flanders' is based on the first edition of 1722. It includes annotations & an essay outlining its history, while documents on criminal transport, contemporary criminal accounts & colonial laws provide context.