Although nearly forgotten today, Louise von François (1817-1893) enjoyed until the collapse of the Weimar Republic a reputation as one of Germany"s outstanding women writers. Her life and work provide a fruitful testing ground for current feminist methodologies and theories. This study examines François"s literary career as an example of the «anxiety of authorship,» presents a reading of François"s finest novel, Die letzte Reckenburgerin (1870), and traces the reception of that novel.