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The Dashwood Sisters Tell All: 07/08/18
Back in the early days of exclusively book blogging I received the first of the Adventures with Jane Austen and her Legacy books, Jane Austen Ruined My Life for review. Although I wasn't a Jane Austen fan, and at that time, hadn't managed to finish a single one of her books (that's since changed) but I liked the title. I ended up loving the first volume and eagerly read the second, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. If you know me, you know I think Darcy's a complete putz, but I still loved the book. At that point I made a note of the third book's title and promptly forgot about it until it floated to the top of my Goodreads wish list this year. The Dashwood Sisters Tell All by Beth Pattillo is about a pair of sisters going to England to another Jane Austen inspired tour. They are there on their mother's wishes, to find a place to scatter her ashes near her beloved author, and in her home country. Along with the urn, there's also an old diary, one that they come to believe belonged to Jane's sister. It's through reading the diary and taking the walking tours that the women come to better know their mother, themselves, and to better appreciate Jane Austen and her books. In the previous two books there was a secret society lead by a formidable woman named Harriet. Although the society is still working in the background of this story, it's not as willing to bring these sisters into the fold. Instead, they are left on their own, and much of the empty spot in the plot is filled in with an attempt at romance. Although part of me is sad that I waited five years to read this book, I do believe I appreciated the setting more now than I would have back then. Much of the story takes place during the many walking tours and I read the book with my own recent summer walking tour of England and Wales still fresh in my memory. The heat, the humidity, the deceptive distances, and the blisters all rang true. Were there ever a fourth book in the series, I would definitely read it. Four stars Comments (2) Comment #1: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at 11:24:30 Loved this book and have wished to read the others, but sadly, no library copies remain ... Glad you've recommended them, should they appear on some bookstore shelf when I'm in the store, I'll know what to do ;) Comment #2: Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 11:27:00 Pussreboots This one I had to get via an interlibrary loan. I wish she would write some more in this world. |