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windy_witch's review against another edition
4.0
A rather lovely side novel to Pride and Prejudice which is a favored classic. Anne de Bough was a sickly baby and prescribed laudanum to sooth her ills. As an adult, she remains taking the opium based medicine everyday unable to break free from its grip and also without a grip on reality.
This is until she makes a break from her mother’s care in the country and travels to her cousin’s house in London, here is finally able to wean herself off of the medicine that has held her back from her life.
A beautifully written book about Anne’s trials to fit into society that she has been on the outside of all her adult life, where she finds friendship and love in another young lady.
This complemented Pride and Prejudice really well, I would look forward to reading more by this author.
emilyruthverona's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautifully written book that haunts the soul. Molly Greeley is one of the best historical fiction writers I've ever read. Superb.
rebeccabadger's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jrho's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
This book was absolutely great. I wish the end of the book had been longer, and Anne's struggle with withdrawal explored more, but overall this was a wonderful read. Anne has such a strong interiority and her supporting cast of both original charcters and ones from "Pride and Prejudice" are wonderfully drawn. It was interesting to see Lizzie and Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and especially Lady Catherine, from such a different perspective. Anne isn't treated that well by them in "Pride and Prejudice", so she has a much dimmer view of them that the reader, and yet they were true to the charcters in the original book.
The way Anne blossoms in London was so lovely to read and felt very real. Her anxieties about money, about being boring, about disobeying her mother, all felt very relatable and written so well. Her having to learn to trust that people are actually interested in her and that she has things to say was great.
So yeah, there were one or two things I quibbled with, but overwhelmingly I really loved the book and only wished that there was more of it.
The way Anne blossoms in London was so lovely to read and felt very real. Her anxieties about money, about being boring, about disobeying her mother, all felt very relatable and written so well. Her having to learn to trust that people are actually interested in her and that she has things to say was great.
So yeah, there were one or two things I quibbled with, but overwhelmingly I really loved the book and only wished that there was more of it.
lesliecastro's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
spinstah's review against another edition
4.0
This is an imagining of the life of Anne de Bourgh, daughter of Lady Catherine from Pride and Prejudice. Anne doesn’t play much of a part in the goings on in Pride and Prejudice, so there isn’t much overlap here, either. Rather this is an exploration of why she might be sickly and what happens when she tries to get out from under the thumb of her domineering mother. I quite enjoyed it.
amberlinn's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A beautiful story of a woman coming of age. A very unique, if meandering at times, study of the struggles of a woman in the Regency Era.
This book reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Gilbert’s “The Signature of All Things” and I enjoyed it much in the same lovely, though not necessarily overly-excited, way.
The mid-range rating stems from the fact that the story felt relatively low-stakes and Anne’s desperation was never conveyed quite as visceral as I think it must have been for her.
A beautiful story of a woman coming of age. A very unique, if meandering at times, study of the struggles of a woman in the Regency Era.
This book reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Gilbert’s “The Signature of All Things” and I enjoyed it much in the same lovely, though not necessarily overly-excited, way.
The mid-range rating stems from the fact that the story felt relatively low-stakes and Anne’s desperation was never conveyed quite as visceral as I think it must have been for her.
killyennn's review against another edition
5.0
this is a reminder to myself to write a review on this one!!! the Austenesque lesbian romance we all deserve
emco_0's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0