“Longbourn” by Jo Baker

Longbourn by Jo Baker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, did I really like this book! For the most part, I am drawn to the classics - books which have stood the test of time. Just a couple of years ago, I read "Pride & Prejudice" for the first time and was an instant Jane Austen fan. Soon after reading that, I became aware of the many spinoffs that have been written through the years, however I was not tempted in the slightest to read any of those types of books. Last fall, a friend sent me a link to a review of "Longbourn," which was published in September of 2013. It was such a glowing review that I couldn't resist trying it out. After waiting about a month for it to become available through the library, I devoured it in less than a week. It was fun to read through the story, looking for peeks of the well-known P&P characters, seen through different eyes. My only issue was that Jo Baker seemed to be a little off in her portrayal of Elizabeth as the timid, unsure mistress of Pemberley. Austen gives us very little insight into Elizabeth once she became Mrs. Darcy at the end of P&P, but the picture we are left with is one of a confident, happy woman in a loving marriage. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book - the ending was practically glorious - and wouldn't hesitate to read it again.

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