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Joanna Campbell Slan | Death of a Schoolgirl, the first book in The Jane Eyre Chronicles
October 14, 2013
When I first happened upon the idea to revisit Jane Eyre, I returned to my
tattered copy for guidance. Charlotte Brontë ends her classic with Jane and her
beloved Edward deciding that they need no other company other than themselves.
In fact, Edward says, "Our honeymoon will shine our life long: its beams will
only fade over your grave or mine," while Jane confesses that "we are ever
together." Lovely for them. Not promising for an author who wishes to create a sequel, one hundred and
sixty-six years after the publication of the original. My task was clear. I needed to give these lovebirds a reason to get out of the
house. And so in DEATH OF A
SCHOOLGIRL, a letter from Adèle spurs Jane to run to her former student's
aide. The idea wasn't original. In the book, Jane tells us that "I soon asked
and obtained leave of Mr. Rochester to go and see her at the school where he had
placed her." That fictional door being left ajar, let me take full advantage of the
situation. I sent Jane packing. In this scene, Jane arrives at Alderton House,
the girls' school, where Adèle is an unhappy student: "Is that the school up ahead? The large building on the right?" I asked.
Braving the rain, I stuck my head out farther and surveyed the situation. "Can
you not get me any closer, Williams?" The coachman doffed his cap—not the best idea since the rain ran over his
head and shoulders. He returned shortly and said, "The jarvey up ahead warns me
they ain't moving." But Adèle needs help. "I shall get out here." I stepped onto the uneven cobblestones, picking my
way through puddles. I gave a wide berth to two men who still stood on the front
steps, talking in urgent tones. One hopped into the Berlin and took off down the
street. The other opened the front door of Alderton House and disappeared
inside. He came right back outside, his hands gripping a long low plank. On it
was a bundle covered by a white sheet. A partner carried the other end of the
burden, both struggling as they navigated against the wind. The pelting rain ought to have plastered the sheet down, but the fabric
refused to stay pinioned. It jumped free and flew up to reveal what was in the
bundle. A body with skin as white as chalk. Joanna Campbell Slan's DEATH
OF A SCHOOLGIRL won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence for
historical romantic suspense. In her classic tale, Charlotte Brontë introduced
readers to the strong-willed and intelligent Jane Eyre. These books pick up
where Brontë left off, refashioning a beloved heroine into "a surprisingly canny
detective (Kirkus Reviews)." NPR's Linda Fasulo called the book "a charming
read...smart, sexy, and delightfully fun." Discuss how Jane Eyre challenged existing notions of the female psyche. Brontë
posited that women have the right to be every bit as passionate as men. Unlike
the feminine ideal of the times, Jane was not willing to subvert her own needs
and desires in order to become a married woman. She not only refuses to live "in
sin" with Edward Rochester, but she also turns down an offer of marriage with
St. John Rivers, who suggests that their union would serve a greater master,
God. Compare Jane to Edward Rochester's mad wife, Bertha. Both are willful and
passionate. Resource materials include THE MADWOMAN IN THE ATTIC by Sandra
Gilbert and Susan Gubar and THE WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys. One
commenter will win a copy of DEATH OF A
SCHOOLGIRL
Comments
52 comments posted.
Re: Joanna Campbell Slan | Death of a Schoolgirl, the first book in The Jane Eyre Chronicles
I loved Jane Eyre and look forward to reading this book. Thanks so much for the great giveaway!
(Bonnie Capuano 8:32am October 14, 2013)
Your book sounds like a great read, and will also fill in some gaps, and enhance a classic story!! What a great way to spend my Fall!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:02am October 14, 2013)
Your book sounds great. Thanks for the chance to win. Best of luck with it!
(Nancy Reynolds 9:45am October 14, 2013)
Your novel sounds captivating and enthralling. Congratulations
on winning the Daphne DuMaurier Award of Excellence. I read
all of Daphne Du Maurier's novels and enjoyed them greatly. I
know that your novel would be memorable.
(Sharon Berger 10:12am October 14, 2013)
I loved Jane Eyre. Looking forward to your expansion of that world. Sounds great.
(Pam Howell 10:46am October 14, 2013)
Oh this was quite the challenge - I love this book already - I am such a fan of Jane and Edward!
(Felicia Ciaudelli 11:31am October 14, 2013)
Love Jane Eyre! Your books looks intriguing and I look forward to a good read. Hope to win this giveaway and I thank you for offering it!
(Vennie Martinisi 12:10pm October 14, 2013)
sounds great can't wait to get my hands on this book!
(Tamara Chaffins 12:22pm October 14, 2013)
I love jane eyre novels this sounds so good cant wait to read
this one
(Denise Smith 2:08pm October 14, 2013)
Thanks for the excerpt! This sounds like a fascinating addition to Jane Eyre.
(Mary Verner 2:35pm October 14, 2013)
I have Jane Eyre on my Kindle, but have yet to read it. It's one of those classics that I always wanted to read, but haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully soon, I will be reading Jane Eyre, followed by your book! Thanks for the chance to win!
(Juli Lear 2:36pm October 14, 2013)
this sounds good
(Patricia Lambert 2:47pm October 14, 2013)
Love Jane Eyre. Can't wait to read this book, it sounds wonderful.
(Jean Patton 2:51pm October 14, 2013)
I like that this wonderful love story has been continued.
(Sue Farrell 3:36pm October 14, 2013)
Oh, the most endearing Jane Eyre, not read since 8th grade..would love to revisit the Bronte psych in this new twist.
(Susan Coster 3:39pm October 14, 2013)
Jane Eyre is the modern woman of her era. The main purpose of a woman's function is to be married to a well-off man or a man with a title. She struck out on her own to find her own happiness even though her idealism has been scorned and rejected. Jane held her own despite that it would have been easier if she has just giving in.
(Kai Wong 5:46pm October 14, 2013)
oooo gave me chills...i'm a huge fan of Jane Eyre..bring it on!!!
(Dawn Taira 5:55pm October 14, 2013)
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. It would be lovely to visit with Jane
and Rochester again! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
(Linda Brennan 6:06pm October 14, 2013)
I love your Kiki Loewenstein books and so I have great hopes for this one too! Thanks for writing more books, you're fabulous!
(Jenne Turner 6:51pm October 14, 2013)
Sounds intriguing!
(Marsha Saenz-Jones 6:58pm October 14, 2013)
Wow, Congrats on your new book: DEATH OF A SCHOOLGIRL. Wow,
your new book about Jane Eyre sounds like a great mystery
book to win and read this Fall. Thank You very much for the
fantastic books. Thanks, Cecilia CECE
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 9:00pm October 14, 2013)
This doesn't seem like something I typically choose first at the library or book store but I have had good luck with books that I ended up trying on someones recommendation that carry on a character (like Sherlock Holmes). I have really gotten into a couple of series like that. I might have to purchase request this from the library.
(Laura Gullickson 9:05pm October 14, 2013)
Love Jane Eyre - it will be interesting to see what her life is like now.
(Mary C 9:18pm October 14, 2013)
Thank you all for your kind interest. I always loved Jane Eyre, as many of you obviously do, too. And I always wondered what happened next in their lives. I hope that my continuation will answer that question!
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:20pm October 14, 2013)
Bonnie and Peggy, I think fall is the perfect time to read Death of a Schoolgirl because it's about a school, and about the impact teachers have.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:21pm October 14, 2013)
Nancy, thank you.
Sharon--the award is registered with the du Maurier Estate, as I understand it, so it's a HUGE thrill for me to be the winner.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:22pm October 14, 2013)
Pam and Felicia, yes, I did challenge you! It's fascinating to think about what our fiction would be like without Jane Eyre's influence.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:23pm October 14, 2013)
Vennie, Tamara, Denise, and Mary--it's always so hard to pick a good short excerpt. Glad you liked this.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:24pm October 14, 2013)
Juli, even if you haven't read the original, you could read my book. I hoped, however, that it would bring readers back to the original. Particularly, I hoped that young women might read about Jane and be encouraged to continue their own educations.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:26pm October 14, 2013)
Patricia, Jean, and Sue--what's better than a love story? More love, I suppose!
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:27pm October 14, 2013)
Susan, as part of my research I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about C. Bronte. Fascinating, dark stuff. I was thrilled when the Bronte blog actually liked my book! (I was so scared because I figured they would be the hardest people to please, but I felt like that old commercial, "Mikey likes it!")
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:28pm October 14, 2013)
Kai, you are very perceptive. Jane could have married St. John Rivers, but she refused. Women of the times NEVER would have refused as she did. Especially when the woman had so little to offer in terms of family and dowry as Jane did. Then to go back and tell Edward that she'd live next to him rather than leave him? Unheard of! Really a book very far ahead of the times.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:30pm October 14, 2013)
Dawn, if you like chills, you'll love this. I added a touch of goth. Just a smidgeon!
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:31pm October 14, 2013)
Sounds like a great read. Keeping my fingers crossed!
(Melanie Backus 9:32pm October 14, 2013)
Linda, I loved revisiting them, especially when you re-read the ending of the original as often as I did. You realize that Edward is no longer a wounded beast. Jane has new pride and self-confidence. They need each other, but in that wonderful synergistic way that happily married people do.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:32pm October 14, 2013)
Jenne, bless you. This publishing world is changing, and I am changing, too. So your encouragement means more than you can guess.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:33pm October 14, 2013)
Marsha and Cece, I believe the mystery is strong in this book. You see, I thought I knew whodunit, but as I wrote that changed. So the ending was rather a surprise to me, too! However, it was grounded in facts. I read a wonderful book called Governess by Ruth Brandon, and I combined several stories of real governesses to make up my mystery.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:35pm October 14, 2013)
Laura, I would appreciate that. In fact, I would urge all of you to let your library know if you hear of a book/s that you would like them to purchase. I was just visiting a library in St. Louis two weeks ago, and my librarian friends reminded me that they don't always know about every good book. So your input is valuable.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:36pm October 14, 2013)
Mary, to figure out what her life would be like after their marriage, I did a lot of reading about the times. In the second book in the series--Death of a Dowager--I go into stories about George IV. Did you know that he died with a locket around his neck? And that the ribbon on it was worn and tattered? It held a picture of...well...I won't tell you!
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:38pm October 14, 2013)
I am sorry that I missed you in St. Louis. This looks like a fabulous read.
(Kathie English 9:52pm October 14, 2013)
Kathie, I flew in, did my thing at Buder, and hopped back on a plane. So I'm sorry that I missed you, too! But I loved seeing "the Lou" and the wonderful librarians at Buder, especially my pal Jim Moses.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:54pm October 14, 2013)
Your book sounds great! I would like to read this one.
(Kathy Morrison 11:11pm October 14, 2013)
It sounds like a book I would like to read cover to cover with my comfy chair and a cup of cocoa!
(Darci Paice 11:27pm October 14, 2013)
Sounds really interesting.
(Penny Mettert 12:57pm October 15, 2013)
I love the idea to expand on such a wonderful origional. Good luck and I can't wait to read it.
(Denise Boyd 4:31am October 15, 2013)
Kathy, Darci, Penny, and Denise. I wish you all luck! And remember, if you don't win it, you can always hit the BUY button and own it in nuttin' flat. Ah, I bet C. B. would have approved this message.
(Joanna Campbell Slan 9:13am October 15, 2013)
I'd love to win a copy! i'd devour it in one day.
(Rhonda Brittingham 9:25am October 15, 2013)
Great! Because then you could start on Death of a Dowager, the second book in the series!
(Joanna Campbell Slan 10:22am October 15, 2013)
The classics are called classics for a reason... they're timeless and they never loose that wonderful quality that makes you want to open them and read them all over again. I love reading the classics and updated classics to the ladies in the nursing home because they bring back memories of days gone by, and everyone always seems to find something in the story that they "didn't remember from before". LOL
(Donna Holmberg 11:24pm October 15, 2013)
THE JANE EYRE CHRONICLES just made my list. Fantastic.
(Mary Preston 7:16am October 16, 2013)
What a fascinating book! Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics. Thanks for the great giveaway.
(Bonnie H 12:41pm October 22, 2013)
The book reminds me of Masterpiece Theater on PBS. I want to
sift through the pages and discover what happened to the girl
and if there was any cover-up.
(Alyson Widen 6:42pm October 31, 2013)
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