Anna Elliott

I really love Anna Elliott's Jane Austen chronicles. The first two volumes followed a character from Pride and Prejudice - Georgiana, the younger sister of the formidable Fitzwilliam Darcy, who married Lizzy Bennet. This third volume is the diary of Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, the youngest of the five sisters, as she works to find a suitor for her bookish sister Mary, and in so doing finds the perfect man for herself.

This third volume is definitely my favourite of the Pride and Prejudice chronicles. I really liked the lively, headstrong, not-always-polite Kitty, enjoyed watching her run headlong into trouble not suited for Regency gentlewomen, and warmed at her love for her family. Her budding romance with a clergyman sizzled with chemisty without the characters exchanging as much as a kiss.

And there's another volume! A Sense and Sensibility follow-up that focuses on Margaret, the youngest of the three Dashwood sisters! I can't wait to read it.

These books are so obviously written with love for the original book, and present interesting and diverting stories and characters. I read this volume, Kitty Bennet's Diary in one day because I couldn't put it down. If you're a Jane Austen fan I wholeheartedly recommend this series.… (mais)

I've now read both volumes of Georgiana Darcy's diary this week, and I found them sweet, and loving, and faithful to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Georgiana Darcy is the much-younger sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy, he of the haughty demeanour who eventually marries Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She is a very minor character in Austen's novels, but is brought to vivid life by author Anne Elliott in a series of diaries. In the first diary, the young heroine seeks to be loved by the man of her dreams, a soldier and all-round decent guy; in the second installment Georgiana, now engaged to Mr. Right, follows him to Belgium while he fights at Waterloo. I really enjoyed the tender, determined, feisty character of Darcy's younger sister, and thanked Elliott for making her not just a googly-eyed Regency heroine, but a woman with a mind of her own, with intelligence and fortitude and a heart of gold.

It was also lovely to revisit Darcy and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is just about to have/has her first child in the novel. Elizabeth is just fine, healthy baby, healthy mama, but Elliott does posit the risk of Elizabeth dying in childbirth, as in the 19th century women often did die in childbed, and their babies as well.

There are more of these books out there and I'm going to read all them. Kudos to Anne Elliott for adapting my favourite novel so well.… (mais)

1902 London. Lady Whispers aka Eleanor Cavendish, is the sixth murdered victim to be found in Hyde Park in the last week, Inspector Lestrade informs Holmes and Watson. Meanwhile Flynn helps an American female escape two thugs, and she wants to speak to Holmes. But why. Is there a connection between both events.
An entertaining and well-written Edwardian mystery with its very likeable and interesting characters supported by a cast of varied personalities. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.… (mais)