Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins and @bookclubgirl for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available 1/5/21!
Hi all! I know I haven’t completed my final wrap-up from my Rick Riordan Presents week–it’s coming, I promise. First–here is my review of a book I FLEW through because it was so lovely: The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley.
The Heiress is the story of Anne de Bourgh, the character that is hardly noticed and mostly ignored in Pride and Prejudice. The novel follows Anne throughout her life, moving more quickly through the first 29 years or so. Anne’s childhood through early adulthood were hazy, stunted, and full of people telling her how sickly she was and all of the things she couldn’t do. until one day, she decides to find out who she might be and what she might be capable of when not constantly dosed with laudanum and under her mother’s thumb. With the help of her maid, other family members, and friends, Anne learns what it means to be strong.
Honestly, I thought this book was an effing triumph. Who knew what I needed was to read a book with Anne de Bourgh as the main character?! Molly Greeley, that’s who. The book reads quickly and is so…melodious. Yes, that’s the word I’m going with. The prose is stunning and you are rooting for her the entire way. Her self-discovery and love story are beautifully rendered and I love that once she realized who she was and what she wanted, she stuck with that all the way through. Also, it was enjoyable to experience certain aspects from Pride and Prejudice from such a unique point of view. My only complaint is that I wanted more—some aspects felt like they were passed over a bit quickly.
I recommend for fans of the Pride and Prejudice world, historical fiction, and a good lgbtq love story.
TW: sex stuff, drug usage and dependency (laudanum prescribed for her illness)
I just found out that Greeley has also written a novel called The Clergyman’s Wife–from the point of view of Charlotte Lucas/Collins! I must read this!
Happy Monday all, and keep reading!
The Bookish Bird 