Sitting on a fence in the wonderful July sunshine watching
his brother Tom putting his horse through his paces, Edmund
was doing his own internal fence sitting. What would he do
when he grew up? He knew what Tom was doing, but what did
he want to be after finishing at Eton? As the oldest boy,
Tom was secure in knowing his inheritance while enjoying
his pleasures of gambling, horses and women. Edmund was
much more the responsible of the two lads and more
reflective as he pondered his future.
In the midst of his summer of indecision, two women entered
his life that would be to unlocking of the happiness of his
future. One is the small and timid Fanny Price, a poor
relative who his family had taken in for charity and to
help his mother. The other was the enchanting Mary
Crawford, always ready with a laugh on her lips to brighten
up his day, yet not always quite as she seemed. Despite her
protestations, she clearly thirsts for power and a higher
station in life. Along with her flirtatious brother Henry,
the Crawford siblings, bring joy into the lives of the
Bertram family, along with some very profound and dramatic
changes - some positive and others much less so.
Amanda Grange has done an intriguing and empathic retelling
of Jane Austin's "Mansfield Park" with her focus an Edmund
and how he determines his choices in life. As Edmund relies
on the Fanny as his confidante while insensitve to her
feelings about him as he discusses his love for Mary,
Edmund isn't the classic hero, however, the skill Grange
demonstrates in getting inside his thinking makes his
actions more clearly understood and much more likeable as a
person.
Jane Austin fans as well as other romance readers are sure
to swoon over this gem as Grange is totally attuned to the
style, pace and lifestyle of the classic Regency period.
Her masterful skill is also apparent as she makes her
characters come alive in such a natural way. Readers new
to Amanda Grange can also delight in her other retelling
stories, such as Mr. Knightley's Diary and Captain
Wentworth's Diary.
At ten years of age, Fanny Price came to live with Edmund
Bertram and
his family at Mansfield Park. Far from the brat Edmund
expected, Fanny
became his closest confidante and dearest friend.
But when the
fashionable Crawford siblings— Henry and Mary—come to town, they
captivate the Bertram family. Henry embarks on a scandalous
flirtation
with Edmund's sister, who is already betrothed to another,
while Edmund
is enchanted by Mary's beauty and wit. But when it appears
that Mary is
not all she seems to be, Edmund will turn to the one woman
who has
always been at his side to find the happiness he deserves—Fanny.
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