{"id":1097,"date":"2013-05-29T08:50:44","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T15:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/?p=1097"},"modified":"2013-05-29T08:50:44","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T15:50:44","slug":"more-about-jane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/?p=1097","title":{"rendered":"More about Jane"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jane Austen is amazing. Not only have her books, published in the early 19th<\/sup> century, stood the test of time, but they have also inspired countless spinoffs into the 21st<\/sup> century. We\u2019ve had Stephanie Barron\u2019s mystery series with Jane as sleuth; Jane Austen vampire novels; the novel The Jane Austen Book Club<\/em>; P.D. James\u2019 Death Comes to Pemberley<\/em>, and countless attempts at sequels, prequels and retellings of Pride and Prejudice<\/em> and other beloved Jane Austen novels.<\/p>\n

I used the convenience of audio books to \u201cread\u201d all Jane Austen\u2019s novels a few years ago when I began my travels as a teacher at somewhat distant universities. I\u2019m as big a fan as anyone. Here Anne Barnhill, a novelist herself, takes a look at the middle book of a relatively new Jane Austen derivative series. This book is available as a Kindle edition on Amazon as well as in paperback, a publishing arrangement I\u2019m seeing more and more.<\/p>\n

By Anne Barnhill<\/p>\n

THE FUTURE MRS. DARCY. By Maria Grace. Good Principles Publishing. 157 pages. $7.65, paperback.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Future Mrs. Darcy<\/em> is the second book in a trilogy, a sort of prequel series to Jane Austen\u2019s Pride and Prejudice<\/em>.\u00a0 In this book, the Bennet family is besieged by problems: a regiment of soldiers has come to Meryton and, of course, Lydia, the family\u2019s wild child, is causing problems; Mrs. Bennet learns of the scandal and retreats to her sickbed, leaving Jane and Elizabeth to run everything; and, the decent families of the area are beginning to shun the Bennets, ruining any chance for good marriages for the girls.<\/p>\n

Maria Grace does a credible job of recreating one of the most famous families in English literature, and their trials and tribulations are both amusing and convincing.\u00a0 The plot becomes more complicated when Mr. Bennet allows Lydia to stay with the colonel\u2019s wife (surrounded by officers!) while he leaves town to attend business.\u00a0 How can Elizabeth and Jane salvage their family\u2019s reputation and bring Lydia\u2019s outrageous behavior to a halt?\u00a0 Grace gives the reader a satisfying conclusion, and it\u2019s great fun to revisit the delightful Bennets.<\/p>\n

Grace\u2019s third book in this trilogy, All The Appearance of Goodness<\/em>, is now available. So is the first, Darcy’s Decision<\/em>.<\/p>\n