Born to merchant-class parents who served in the court of Henry VIII and his queens, Anne Vaughan Lock lived in London and Exeter, spent time in Geneva as a religious exile, belonged to the Cooke sisters' political-religious circle, maintained friendships with prominent Protestant leaders, and engaged the issues of her day. As a recognized public figure, she took on the roles of reformer, poet, translator, correspondent, spiritual counselor, and political advocate. During her lifetime, she published two books, both of which were reprinted several times.

This volume provides a collection of Lock's works presented in modern spelling, and it includes additional contemporary materials that place her voice in the larger context of the Tudor period, offering insight into the intertwined complexities of political, social, and religious life in sixteenth-century England.