The mark of a classic is that we can go back to it multiple times and it’s as good as the first time. Another mark of a classic is that it can be partially turned on it’s head, while retaining the elements that keep us coming back.
Libby Sternberg’s novel, Sloane Hall, transports Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel, Jane Eyre from Victorian England to 1920’s Hollywood. She also changes the sexes of the characters, adding a very interesting twist. John Doyle is an orphan. He is learning to become a cinematographer, but a stupid mistake costs him his job.
He takes a job as a chauffeur for Pauline Sloane, a tempestuous actress with a mysterious past. Ignoring the warning signs, Johns falls in love with his employer. Their future seems bright when she returns his affections, but there are secrets and conspiracies that could force them apart.
I thoroughly enjoy this book. It’s still Jane Eyre, I can still hear Charlotte Bronte’s voice. What Ms. Sternberg does well as a writer (which many writers cannot do) is manipulate certain elements within the story to create her own, while remaining true to the original.
I highly recommend this book.
Writergurlny 