Emma of 83rd Street Book Review

I have a complicated relationship with Emma Woodhouse. As much as I laugh and can see where she goes wrong, I can’t relate to her as I do with other Austen heroines. As good-hearted as she is, she can also be a snob.

Emma of 83rd Street, by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding, was published last year. It is the first book in the For the Love of Austen series. Like her regency counterpart, this modern Emma has grown up with a comfortable life. She lives with her widowed father in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and is in her final year of grad school.

After matching her sister with Ben Knightley, Emma is bored. The house feels empty now that Margo is married and has moved downtown. A new challenge comes in the form of Nadine Pittman. Nadine and Emma are classmates. A transplant from Ohio, she is naive and wide-eyed.

Emma’s next-door neighbor and brother-in-law by marriage, George Knightley seems to take pleasure in pointing out her faults. He knows that she is smart and can do anything once she puts her mind to it. But he is concerned that she is more concerned with frivolous pursuits. Knightley also notices that Emma is now a woman with whom he is developing an un-ignorable attraction.

I loved this book. It is one of the best modern Austen adaptations that I have read in a long time. It was charming, funny, and adorable. It is the perfect mix of the original text and the contemporary world that we inhabit. It also helped that the book was set in NYC. I was easily able to identify some of the locations from within the narrative.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Emma of 83rd Street is available wherever books are sold.

May the Firth Be With You

Women & Power: A Manifesto Book Review

One of the most powerful quotes within all of Jane Austen‘s works is in Persuasion.

“I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman’s inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman’s fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”

“Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.”

Women & Power: A Manifesto, by Mary Beard, was published in 2017.

In this short history book, Beard examines how women have been sidestepped, forced into a second-class position, and generally mistreated. She starts with the mythical characters Medusa and Philomela and ends with modern political figures Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton. Along the way, she points out how we can and must fight against the cookie-cutter images that we have been forced into for an untold number of generations.

Though she is small, she is mighty. Beard’s text packs a punch that might not have been so powerful had it been longer. In 128 pages, she reminds her readers why the feminist movement is still desperately needed, even with the hard-won gains we have made.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules Book Review

The romance genre has a narrative that we are all familiar with. Our lovers meet, there is the build-up to the big moment, the breakup, and finally, the happily ever after. While this format is tried and true, it can also be a bit boring.

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules, by Suzanne Allain, was published in January. After a brief and unhappy marriage, Diana Boyle has no desire to remarry. Given the many fortune hunters who seek to wed for money alone, she would prefer to remain a widow for the rest of her life.

After two strange men come calling, Diana discovers that she is listed in a directory of wealthy and single women. Justifiably angry, she discovers the man who is responsible for her unwanted visitors.

Maxwell Dean is the younger son of an aristocrat. Like all men in his situation, he is living on a limited income and must marry a woman of means. Despite her attraction to him, she is not exactly pleased that her information has become public.

Joining together with other women in the book, they band together to prevent one of their own from being taken advantage of. Instead of getting angry, they decide to turn the standard gender norms on its head.

I’ve been a fan of Allain for a few years. Just when I think she has outdone herself, she surprises me. Though the story arc is not new, Allain’s tale is exciting, different, and absolutely wonderful.

For my fellow Jane Austen fans, there is a Mr. Collins-type character that surprised me. I thought I knew who he was. Without spoiling for those who have not read it, there was no way for me to even predict where Allain took him. It was brilliant.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules is available wherever books are sold.

Scoop Movie Review

In the world of fiction, Prince Charming is an idealized version of the perfect man. But in the real world, not even a Prince is above a blunder every now and then.

The new Netflix film, Scoop, is based on the book of the same name by Sam McAlister. The movie tells the story of how three female journalists were able to extract the truth from Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. McAlister (Billie Piper) is the writer who gets the interview. Her editor, Esme Wren (Romola Garai) gives the go-ahead for the story. Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson) is the TV presenter who sits down with the accused.

Kudos goes to the hair and makeup department who made Sewell look as close to his character as he could have gotten. The tension is absolutely perfect. Though we all know how it ended, the ride to get there is far from straightforward.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Scoop is available for streaming on Netflix.

P.S. Eagle-eyed Jane Austen fans will notice a trifecta of early Aughts performers. In addition to Piper and Garai, Charity Wakefield has a brief role as Princess Beatrice.

I Could Read Jane Austen All Day and Be Perfectly Happy

What book could you read over and over again?

Author. Satirist. Protofemist. Icon. Inspiration. Romantic. All around badass.

Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage Book Review

In our modern world, we are told that marriage is supposed to start with “happily ever after”. A couple (either gay or straight) is living with a couple of kids in their own version of the white picket fence. But this image is a modern one. Love and marriage have not always gone hand in hand.

Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage, by Stephanie Coontz, was published in 2006. In the book, Coontz details how, for most of human history, getting married was not about love. It was a business and more about who you knew rather than the compatibility and emotional connection of the couple.

In many cases, women (and some men)were sold in the name of marriage to benefit their families or communities. The chosen spouse was not just the business of the individual or their loved ones. Neighbors and distant acquaintances had their say in who one would say “I do” to.

Jane Austen put it best in Mansfield Park:

Since marriage is a “maneuvering business,” both men and women often tried to “market” themselves to potential spouses by showing off certain qualities. Since women and wives in this period were supposed to be obedient, Sir Thomas is basically marketing Fanny as a good potential wife by showing how easy she is to boss around.

Coontz has a way of reaching her readers that is both intellectual and down to earth. She presents the subject in a way that teaches without relying on dry facts and figures. It makes me appreciate that as a female, I can choose who my legally wedded partner is and that I am no longer seen as his property.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage is available wherever books are sold.

Anne Elliot is my Spirit Animal

Daily writing prompt

If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

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Her arc throughout Persuasion is one of my favorite within Austen’s narratives. Finding her voice and speaking up for her wants is a lesson that is timeless and universal.

Ardent Animated Regency LGBTQ Short Film: A Stunning Must-Watch

How to Marry a Marquis Book Review

It takes a smart writer to subtly weave society’s foibles into a fictional narrative.

Julia Quinn’s 1999 novel, How to Marry a Marquis is set in the larger Bridgerton universe. It is the second book in the Agents of the Crown/ Lady Danbury’s Influence series.

Elizabeth Hotchkiss is in a bind. After the death of her parents, she has become both a big sister and secondary mother figure to her three younger siblings. Though they are of minor nobility, they have neither the fortune nor property to properly represent their lineage. The only way to stay financially afloat is to marry a man who has a solid income. While working for Lady Danbury as her companion, she discovers a book entitled How to Marry a Marquis. With nothing to lose, she decides to follow the writer’s advice.

James Sidwell, the Marquis of Riverdale has spent the last few years going undercover for King and Country. With his cover blown, he uses his expertise for another for one final mission. His aunt, Lady Danbury is being blackmailed. Pretending to be the new estate manager, his first task is to determine if Elizabeth is the blackmailer. During his investigation, he finds the book she has borrowed and offers to help her find a husband. He has no idea how far his tutelage will go.

This is a good book. The slow burn between Elizabeth and James is absolutely perfect. I wanted them to get together from the instant that they met.

Like Jane Austen before her, Quinn points out the disadvantage that most women in this era had to deal with. Because their economic and educational opportunities were limited, the only viable option was marriage. While some were lucky enough to be respected and loved by their spouse, others were forced to live with a spouse whom they were unhappy with.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

How to Marry a Marquis is available wherever books are sold.