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The Clergyman's Wife

A Pride & Prejudice Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

For everyone who loved Pride and Prejudice—and legions of historical fiction lovers—an inspired debut novel set in Austen's world.

Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford's vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners, and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Intelligent, pragmatic, and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life, an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine.

In Mr. Travis' company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life, Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart—and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted, and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman's life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman's wife.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 30, 2019
      Greeley debuts with a delightful yet poignant historical inspired by Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, from the pragmatic point of view of Charlotte Collins, a friend of Elizabeth Bennet’s who married one of Elizabeth’s cast-off suitors. In a time when women had only two choices—get married, or become a burden to one’s family—Charlotte chose the former, even though she isn’t in love with her husband, Vicar William Collins, a simpering sycophant to their patroness, the condescending, haughty know-it-all Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Charlotte is resigned to her fate and enjoying her growing toddler daughter, Louisa, when she meets Mr. Travis, a tenant of Lady Catherine’s. For the first time, she feels heard and understood by a man, and realizes that while her life is socially acceptable, something vital is missing from her feelings about her husband. With tight prose and expert characterization (and, sadly, a finale true to those times), Greeley easily draws readers into the world she’s created while largely staying true to Pride and Prejudice’s original plot. Ideal for fans of Austen’s work, Greeley’s strong debut also stands on its own.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Susie Riddell portrays every one of the many characters in Greeley's Austen-inspired novel so credibly that it's hard to believe she's alone in the recording booth. In the world of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Elizabeth Bennet's friend, Charlotte Lucas, has made a sensible match, marrying Vicar William Collins. His patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, keeps Collins on a short leash, and Riddell precisely captures her sharp tongue as well as Collins's embarrassingly slavish behavior toward her. Riddell makes clear Charlotte's distaste for her husband's social-climbing ways yet shows her strong sense of duty and commitment to William. When the unexpected occurs, Charlotte's life undergoes a disturbing shift. Riddell's strong narration of this debut novel will make listeners hope for more trips to Austen-land. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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