Review by Booklist Review
Anne, the daughter of Pride and Prejudice's Lady Catherine de Bourgh, takes center stage in Greeley's latest (after The Clergyman's Wife, 2019). Anne was a fussy baby, and the prescribed treatment--daily doses of laudanum--restricts her growth and leaves her in a constant dreamlike state. Her domineering mother defies all attempts to wean Anne from her "magic drops," leaving her daughter sickly, placid, and addicted. Lady Catherine's grand plan for Anne includes a marriage to her cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy, which would bring together their two grand estates. Anne's only comfort is her governess, Miss Hall, who eventually inspires Anne to break free both from her laudanum addiction and from her toxic mother. Safely ensconced in the London home of her cousin, John Fitzwilliam, Anne befriends Eliza Amherst, a spirited young woman who introduces her to fashion, parties, and the writing of Mary Wollstonecraft. Their attachment grows into love, and Anne must decide whether to marry for security or to be true to herself. Greeley is faithful to the original story, while creating an imaginative and vivid inner life for the beleaguered Anne. This inventive novel will delight Pride and Prejudice fans, and win over readers who are skeptical of Austen reimaginings.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Greeley (The Clergyman's Wife) delivers an immersive queer reimagining of Pride and Prejudice character Anne de Bourgh. Anne is born into wealth as the heiress to Rosings Park in Kent, England, and the daughter of Lady Catherine and Sir Lewis de Bourgh. Anne, now in her 30s, has been prescribed laudanum since she was an infant, then for being "fussy" and now for being "delicate," and though she expects to marry her cousin Fitzwilliam, he weds Elizabeth Bennet. While Catherine is away from Rosings Park, Anne stops taking her laudanum and travels to London, where she becomes acquainted with Eliza Amherst, a friend of her cousin's wife, and their friendship evolves into a secret romance. Though Anne hopes Eliza will consider returning to Rosings Park as her companion, Eliza reluctantly understands the societal obligation for her to marry an eligible man, and Anne reckons with fulfilling her obligations as heiress to the estate. Greeley's expert imaginings of the life of Anne de Bourgh reveal the hidden depths of her character and highlight the societal restrictions of 19th-century women as Anne seeks to overcome her mother's domineering persona and find happiness. Historical fiction fans will be drawn to Anne's plight. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Another Pride and Prejudice retelling? Yes, but as in her debut, The Clergyman's Wife, Greeley doesn't dwell on the big-name protagonists. Here she tells the story of Anne de Bourgh, the heiress Darcy was expected to marry, who was calmed with laudanum as a cranky baby and is now addicted to it. But when her father dies, she decides to dump the drugs and take over her own life. With 75,000-copy first printing.
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