Have you ever wished to know what happened to Elizabeth Bennet after her marriage to Mr. Darcy? I know there are many books that take up this question but imagine the genius of P.D. James exploring the question! Here it is...turns out Ms. James is as enamored with Jane Austen as many of us are in this modern age.
The book begins 6 years after the Darcy's wedding. Elizabeth has found her footing as the mistress of this great house and is the mother of two sons. Her sister Jane lives nearby and her father comes to visit often. They are preparing for the yearly autumn ball.
The peace is shattered when a carriage speeds up the long drive of Pemberley to the door on the night before the ball. The carrige carries Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth's disgraced sister, who along with her husband Mr. Wickham have been banned from visiting Pemberley. She is hysterical and crying out that her husband, has been killed dead in the woods of Permberley.
Ms. James continues the story of Pride and Prejudice; includes all the characters from this classic as well as some characters from other beloved Austen stories and weaves a wonderful story that updates their lives in wonderful, even believable fashion. I had the feeling reading the novel that Ms. James found some of the original book's situations needed a bit more attention and needed to be looked at in more depth. This novel satisfied all the loose ends found at the end of Pride and Prejudice as well as gave me an inside look at life in Pemberley and the life of the landed gentry in the early 1800's.
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