The controversial subject matter of Grant Allen's novel, The Woman Who Did, made it a major bestseller in 1895. The central character of "The Woman Who Did" is a youthful, self-assured middle-class woman who defies tradition as a matter of principle and who is totally ready to suffer the results of her actions. First published in London as part of a series meant to promote the ideal of the 'New Woman'. Allen was sympathetic to the feminist cause and saw his novel as a way to promote women's rights. The novel was controversial from the start, as conservative readers and feminists both criticized Allen for the heroine he invented.