If Jane Austen were alive today, what would she say about the contemporary world? No longer is this question idle speculation—for the great authoress herself appeared in California at the turn of the twenty-first century and wrote about what she found there. The result is An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl, her modern-day Pride and Prejudice, which tells a thoroughly modern tale in Austen’s own classic prose. |It turns out she has a lot to say about the prejudices we still harbor, and about how opponents can get past their pride to achieve reconciliation.
THE PEACEFUL HAMLET of Lambtown, in central California’s ranch and vineyard country, is cast into disarray after the Bennet family appears on the scene. From Mrs. Bennet’s social climbing to her youngest children’s dissolute behavior, the newcomers provoke universal censure. Eldest daughter Lizzy, a landscaper, challenges decorum with a series of social experiments aimed at improving the lot of the Spanish-speaking poor. And her gentle brother John offends many by virtue of his romance with local entrepreneur Charlie Bingley.
Nobody is more outraged by the Bennets than thoroughbred breeder Catherine de Bourgh and her amanuensis, Morris Collins. While Collins at first imagines that Lizzy is a promising prospect, she will have none of him, attracted instead to the elusive Jorge Carrillo. Unbeknownst to Lizzy, she has also been noticed by Fitzwilliam Darcy, scion of the founding family of Lambtown. Darcy, tantalized by her spirit but disapproving of her social crusades, makes an awkward pass that is spurned. Will hearts be healed and peace return to a divided community? How will Darcy and Elizabeth move beyond their pride and prejudices to achieve lasting happiness?
ABOUT the AUTHOR
THE HUMBLE AUTHOR of the volume before you finds herself much discomposed by her journey in the time travel device into which, in a moment of inattention to the niceties of comportment, she inadvertently strayed. She is even further bewildered by the world into which she has been cast; but, striving for the appearance at least of equanimity, is determined to inscribe a faithful record of all she observes. Perhaps, by continuing to be true to her nature in such an odd circumstance, she will find her way home at last.
Available through Ingram, or signed copies from www.obstinateheadstrongirl.com.
What reviewers are saying about An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl:
“I have been addicted to Jane Austen since I was eleven, and have read every sequel and modernization of her work for more decades than I care to admit to. In all that time, I have never, even remotely, found a volume that completely satisfied me. When I picked up An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl, I confess I didn’t expect much—but hope began to rise with the first, witty sentence—and by the time I had finished page 1, I was irrevocably hooked. Delicate, clever, wise, completely true to both the eigh-teenth century and the twenty-first, this book is absolute perfection. . . . A dizzying debut for a stunningly good writer.”
—Award-winning author Mary Sheldon
“I will be the first to admit, I’m not a huge Jane Austen fan, so when this book was given to me, I read the first few pages out of politeness. Let’s just say, I ended up finishing the book the next day. Not only will the modern variations from the source material delight Austen diehards, but the book gives a fascinating glimpse into the politics and passions that take place in a small central California town. The writing is divine and by the time I was a few pages in, I was totally convinced that Jane Austen had indeed written it after a mishap with a time machine.” —Rebecca Van Dusen, Amazon
“How can this modern retelling, on the one hand, be so wildly different from the original but, on the other hand, be so genuinely devoted to the portrayal of Miss Austen’s beloved characters? The prose, for one, is largely from the exquisite Regency style . . . elegant, complex, and lofty. To be able to combine the venue of this modern story with the authenticity of the original characters into a story with such compelling contemporary political/social issues is a testament to the author’s creative abilities. . . . If the prospective reader of this tale had never heard of Jane Austen, the story would still stand confidently on its own with the compelling urgency of both personal and community conflicts, how they unfold in their complexity, and the beautiful way in which the author seeks to resolve them. Indeed it had me examining my own prejudices on the social/political issues presented. This remarkable story deserves more exposure and I hope you will find a place for it in your stack of
must-reads.” —Jeffrey Ward, Goodreads and Austenprose reviewer
For more information or for signed copies, visit www.obstinateheadstronggirl.com
My only complaint is that I could not put it down. I was sleep-deprived until the end. This rare gem of a book is clever without being precious and heartfelt but not saccharine. The juxtaposition of Regency prose and modern dialogue was more entertaining than I could have imagined. A refreshing read for Austen fans and non-fans alike.