Laurence Housman first published An Englishwoman's Love-Letters in 1900 as an anonymous epistolary novel of the personal letters of an ill-fated couple. It was made available in a cream vellum jacket with gold embossing on the spine and two green silk ties to heighten its impression of intimacy. Its success spawned many differently bound copies and a parody, entitled Another Englishwoman's Love-Letters (1901) by Barry Pain. Intrigue over authenticity and theories of the couple's identities abounded until it was revealed Laurence was the sole author of the letters. The financial success of the novel encouraged Laurence's path into playwriting, where its concise and dramatic tone may also have proved an asset (Oakley, Inseparable Siblings).