Charles Reade was born in 1814 in England. He used his writings to attack the social injustices of his time. Before becoming a writer Reade studied for the bar and then sold violins. White Lies was based on a French drama by Auguste Maquet. Reade bought the right to turn the drama into a novel. Reade often used other people's work. He believed that ideas could be bought like merchandise. Because Reade did not acknowledge the original authors he was often accused of plagiarism.