Review

This is a great take on the Jane Austen biography told surrounding the Georgian home, a theme throughout her work. Modern biographies have emphasized Austen’s place as a woman of the world instead of the Victorian ideal put forth by her family. In the year of the anniversary of Austen’s death, it is good to have a biography that honors her impact on the world and offers a new perspective on her life and work. Highly recommended.

Book Battle: Wuthering Heights vs. Outlander

Last year I participated in a book battle on our library blog based on the theme of broken hearts. The pairing I wished I had gotten was Outlander vs. Wuthering Heights.

Both of these novels have a reputation for lush romance, but I found one to be more compelling than the other.

Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 by Emily Bronte. Full of dark atmosphere and a brooding hero, this novel helped to set standards against the fiction of its time and is now a classic. For years, I had heard this described as one of the most romantic stories of all time, but when I finally read it, I was absolutely turned off by the romance between Catherine and Heathcliff and his treatment of every other character in the novel. Far from being romantic, Heathcliff is a creepy stalker an pretty much a jerk. Ugh.

Outlander was published in 1991 by Diana Gabaldon. This book is known for its romantic story and genre-defying nature which has spawned its own standard in the publishing world. This is another novel I had heard about for some time before I got around to reading it, but I was completely swept away. The characters are compelling and strong and the romance is powerful. Jamie and Claire are a couple I am happy to spend time with.

Jamie and Heathcliff could be described as similar types of hero, certain of their love and ready to go to any lengths to prove it. There might be a world in which Heathcliff rises above his background and reputation to be the man he wants to be, but it is nowhere present in the novel. Jamie however is a man dedicated to his community and honor. There may be times that he acts in ways that are problematic (#imperfectJamie), but he is a chivalric hero in the tradition of Arthurian legend.

As far as the broken heart theme, I would say that Wuthering Heights more aptly fits the bill since Heathcliff and Catherine are doomed to be apart through societal circumstance and his broken and angry nature. Outlander has a love triangle across the centuries as well as the weight of history that puts pressure on their future happiness, but there is ultimately hope for their relationship. In Jamie and Claire, we have a love you want to cheer for. In Catherine and Heathcliff, you want to file a restraining order.

The winner is Outlander.

Happy Birthday Laura

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series was one of my favorite series in my childhood. My poor little copies of the books are literally falling apart, they were loved so much. I was a fan of the television series as well, but the books were the “real” story. Here are a few titles that honor her legacy.

This is a fictionalized account of Rose Wilder Lane, her relationship with her mother. and the writing of the Little House books. The idea that Rose may have been much more involved in the writing has been revealed through letters, diaries and manuscript drafts. I don’t know how much this changes my view of the books; they are still charming and beloved, but I am saddened that mother and daughter were so at odds.

 This is a fun read, but these ‘a fan immerses herself in the life of whatever period is in question’ stories always disappoint me when the person is surprised or ignorant of some detail or other that is readily available to anyone who reads or pays attention.

 I am so glad that they finally decided to publish this. It is fascinating.

 While this series is not as rough with struggle as LH, it is a charming picture of a past time in my home state of Minnesota and a great read-alike. A librarian recommended the series to me when I was a girl. When I got to recommend it to a young customer a couple of years ago, I felt like I had completed a karmic circle.

 Rose’s version of her mother’s story is the closest we had to the Pioneer Girl manuscript.

 I devoured this biography many times when I was a girl. There is a mention in the chapter on Wisconsin of Yanish relatives–my paternal grandmother’s maiden name. I always thought it was a coincidence. Years later, I learned that the connection is real! My twelve-year-old self is totally vindicated.

 Caroline Ingalls’ story newly authorized by the Wilder estate. I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my list.

Writing Wednesday

I am terrible at writing letters, but I used that format as the basis for my first attempt at a novel. I never felt like I had much to say about my own life, but I found it easy to inhabit my characters and dive into the language which was so familiar to me from Jane Austen’s novels.

My story is historical fiction, set at the beginning of the war with Revolutionary France when the city of Toulon invited the British to come and mount a Royalist defense and restore the monarchy. It is about an officer in the British navy who is stationed in Toulon and meets an intriguing French countess who introduces him to the world of espionage as a way to make a difference in the doomed campaign they find themselves in. Of course, complications ensue, but that’s the basic premise.

A friend and I exchanged the letters written to characters’ families making up this story (and continuing what happened to the characters after) for years. Some writing advice I had seen said that if you don’t see the types of books you want to read, write it yourself. So I am. Here is the opening letter:

7 October 1793

Toulon

Dear Family,

Last night was the ball to welcome the Sardinian forces we brought on Leviathan and Bedford, which I mentioned in my last letter. I shall now recount to you what happened there. My host, M. Gerard, has a younger sister who was most anxious to attend the ball. I was happy to oblige, as her brother has been such a gracious host.  I suppose I must thank Mr. Winthrop for his efforts to drum so much vocabulaire into my head as my abilities have landed me in such a pleasant berth. But such is the life of an officer in His Majesty’s Royal Navy; one minute, one may be in the midst of battle and fighting for your life, or stifling in the fug of the wardroom after months at sea, the next dining with the great and the good or dancing with a lovely young lady.

Mademoiselle Gerard is quite a handsome young lady with golden curls and a pretty smile. She is quite a bit younger than her brother, probably a little older than you Abigail. I must admit that I am much taken with her and I feel sure that if you met her, you would agree that she is a delightful creature! The care which she gives to her brother is quite charming and while the two are so far apart in age, they are quite well suited to each other. Danielle has kept the house for her brother since their parents’ death and is quite an accomplished cook and chatelaine. Our time is spent in delightful conversation when the circumstances allow it, usually over breakfast which, while not as hearty as English fare, is still delicious. I quite enjoy having someone so lovely to look after me.

Getting back to the ball, (no, Abigail, I had not forgotten!) the fete took place at the mayor’s palace. The ballroom there was quite grand. After living in the more modest conditions aboard ship, it was strange to be surrounded by such opulence again.

It seems British officers were all the fashion that evening as all the Toulonese Mademoiselles were on the arm of some Lobster or Tar. Quite a fuss was made over those of us who could dance. When our hidden talents were discovered, we were obliged to fill each dance card. The Toulon ladies were quite easy to impress, in no small part because of the brilliant display of dress uniforms and shimmering gold braid. I have always wondered at the particular effect of the uniform on the opposite sex. I am glad that our dress uniforms are not so showy though it made us look quite drab in comparison to the other nations represented. It is difficult to take them seriously when they look more like peacocks than soldiers or sailors. The ladies were most anxious for news as well; I am fortunate that I have sisters who can keep me abreast of such important matters as gown styles and the newest dances. I did take no small satisfaction from the fact that I was the one dancing with the lovely young ladies at the ball while Lt. Barlow from Leviathan skulked about in the background complaining with the others. Apparently, he noticed this as well and scowled most obligingly. Were it not for the fact that we have been at odds in pursuit of promotion, these petty things would not matter so much, but I admit to a certain amount of joy at his jealousy. Mlle. Gerard was quite pleased, I think, to be on the arm of such a well-informed gentleman. Whatever such knowledge may do to my dignity among my fellow officers, I cannot regret giving a little pleasure to the ladies in these troubled times. You see, Mother, gallantry is not dead.

The Spaniards kept to themselves, which was hardly a surprise, but the Sardinians proved to be gregarious and helped to lighten the otherwise dark mood. It was easy to be friendly and pledge our alliance over drinks and dancing. If only the reality of cooperation were as easily practiced as it was in the ballroom. I am sure you can imagine how strange the room looked with the Spaniards glowering in one corner; the various dignitaries from the allied nations officiating with practiced smiles in the other and the British officers mingling with the Sardinians and dancing with the French ladies. I suppose it did rather bespeak the situation outside the ballroom as well, but enough of that sort of talk for now!

Captain Lord Conway arrived at the ball with some of the other officers from Leviathan, including Lt. Barlow. He took the opportunity to introduce me to some of his brother captains as well as other dignitaries present. And yes George, I did meet Admiral Lord Hood. His Lordship was kind enough to remember you Father from when you met at Court last summer and asked me to send you his regards. I am determined to find some way of coming to his professional notice here and earn my promotion.

The strangest occurrence of the evening happened outside the ballroom however. While I was escorting Mlle. Gerard outside to take in the evening air, I heard a noise like fighting off of one of the streets. When we rounded the corner, we saw a British naval officer being set upon by three brigands dressed in the Phrygian caps of the Regicides. The poor officer was not only outnumbered, but was handicapped by an injury; his arm was bound in a sling. My companion was quite startled by the sight, but I quickly joined the fray to help even the odds. Whatever these men had been expecting, they clearly did not reckon on the fighting abilities of two capable naval lieutenants.

One of the brigands tried to warn me off getting involved but his fellow had noticed my companion and made a comment which made no doubt as to his intentions. After this affront to Mlle. Gerard’s modesty, I quickly disposed of the villain. As the man began to collapse from his wounds, he reached into his waist and found the handle of a pistol he had concealed there. Danielle shrieked in alarm at this and I nearly missed avoiding the attack. I stood in front of her, my body shielding hers. Fortunately for me, he fell before he had a chance to use it!

My fellow officer disposed of the other brigands despite his wounded arm. The poor man was wounded in the shoulder, quite staining his uniform. A fearsome grin was frozen to his face which gave even me pause; it must have done wonders to keep the Frenchmen at bay. It is a pity that such an expression can’t be used to keep away the entire Republican army or we would be home by the end of the month. He was most grateful for my assistance however, and bade me call upon him later so that he may thank me properly as he was heading back to his quarters. While I regretted leaving him in such obvious distress, I readily agreed.

When we returned to the ball, Mlle. Gerard could talk of nothing else but our little adventure with her friends. She was content to recount her tale with me at her side while her friends reacted in amazement and indeed jealousy that such an adventure should have taken place. Our gallant efforts to preserve her honor obviously made quite an impression on her! I must admit that I find the sensation of being a hero to be quite pleasant.

I must leave off writing for now for I am going to visit that same officer. I shall finish my account soon.

A Bouquet of Spies

Espionage, Frock Coats, a Mysterious English Boyfriend, and a Looming Dissertation Deadline!

Combine the Scarlet Pimpernel with Bridget Jones’s Diary and you get Lauren Willig’s amusing Pink Carnation series. The series follows Eloise Kelley, a Harvard graduate student in history, working on her dissertation research in London. In her quest to find more information on Napoleonic War era spy the Purple Gentian, Eloise meets his descendant, Colin Selwick and the romantic sparks fly. The others in the series follow the romance between Eloise and Colin as well as the exploits of the circle of spies and the women who fall in love with them.

Willig began the series of twelve titles while she was still in law school at Harvard University during her summer break but now she is a full-time writer. The series is a forerunner of the time slip genre which switch between plots and time periods, though there are usually some unifying themes or threads. Willig also uses a humorous, modern voice and historical details which I find appealing in my own writing voice. If you are in the mood for a light read, then you will want to try these.

Some of my favorite books in the series are: The Garden of Intrigue which features a spy under cover as an absurd poet with examples of his work scattered throughout.

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose focuses on two “so bad, they’re good” characters Mary Alsworthy and Lord Vaughn. The witty dialogue from them is particularly fun.

The Mischief of the Mistletoe is a fun Christmas installment featuring the aptly named ‘Turnip’ Fitzhugh, a sweet but dim character and a governess. They make an adorable couple.

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria features Miss Gwen, the no-nonsense chaperone and author of gothic romance, and a roguish army captain. The best parts about this is that the couple are middle aged and the passages of purple prose from Miss Gwen’s novel.

The Best Books I Read in 2017

Before we get too far into this new year, I wanted to look back at the best books I read last year. I love strong historical settings with realistic details and compelling characters and these books are full of them.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I love the portrayals of character in the work of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens; the opus of Susanna Clarke is one of the must successful inheritors of that style that I have ever seen. The combination of the 18th century setting and the construct of magic are a very natural pairing. At the heart of the plot is the dichotomy of traditional scholarly magic and the very real and dangerous wild magic awakened by the title characters. The BBC adaptation is excellent as well.

 Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

I had this on my TBR list for a long time but I only now got to it. I loved all of the historical detail of the Medieval English setting and the characters, intriguing for a modern audience but not too anachronistic–always a danger with a historical detective. The mystery was also very compelling but disturbing; so much so that I had to stay up late finishing the climax to avoid giving myself nightmares. I am holding off on reading the others in this series, but this one will stay with me for a long time.

 The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn

What would happen if you could save Jane Austen? This futuristic setting has secret time travel and the two protagonists (one a doctor and the other a scholar) are sent back in time to retrieve a missing manuscript. Along the way, Rachel diagnoses the mysterious illness which befell Jane at the end of her life and comes up with a treatment to save her. But when they return, everything is different. The romance between the two protagonists was not quite compelling for me, but the historical setting and the implications of changing history are well done. And it seemed fitting to read this on the bicentennial of her death.

 The Unicorn Hunt by Dorothy Dunnett

This is part five of the House of Niccolo series. I have had a love/hate relationship with the characters; especially Niccolo himself because he is always far too clever and the constant one-up-man-ship of complications is fatiguing. This book features travel across the Renaissance world and a battle of wills between Niccolo and his estranged wife as they struggle to maintain a hold on a mercantile empire. What I love about Dunnett’s work is the detailed historical setting and the subtle humor. She is most likened to Patrick O’Brian and the Aubrey and Maturin series (one of my favorites). For all of the issues I have had with these books, I do love spending time in this world.

Finding My Voice

I am an introvert. I’ve always felt like I don’t have much to say or that other people are much more interesting than me. Like many other people, I also have a pretty strong case of imposter syndrome. My mom was always told that “Debbie is a good student, but she never speaks up in class.” A few years into college and I actually started to feel like I might know what I am talking about. Sometimes. It has been a slow road of progess since then.

I love sharing my enthusiam for books and geeky things. Working at a library, I get to do that a lot. But I wanted a platform where I could develop my thoughts further and find ways to incorporate that into my professional life as a librarian and a writer. And here we all are.

I am going to try and post three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Wednesdays will be devoted to writing (see my previous post). And Fridays will be devoted to fun things like my Protagonist’s Bookshelf series (already in progress for Austin Public Library). I’m super serious about books, you guys.

Writing Wednesday

I am working on a book. Actually, I have been working on this for several years now.  I was lured into this by the siren call of a play-by-email game I was involved in and I thought, “Why not.” A few tries at NaNoWriMo and a lot of encouragement from my writing gurus at Chipperish and Point North Media and suddenly I had a draft. It started as an epistolary novel, but I have been adapting it to a traditional prose format. Wow, you guys. Writing is hard.

Several times I have considered throwing it all away and starting a new project or focusing on my career. But I keep thinking about the potential of this book and trying to come up with ways to make my lump of clay match the vision in my head. I wanted to share some of my struggles and maybe an excerpt or two.

You can join me here for more bookish fun during the week.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton