Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs

Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs (Jane Austen Takes the South #2)
By Mary Jane Hathaway
Howard Books, 2014. 291 pages. Fiction.

In a modern take on Jane Austen's Emma, Caroline Ashley has given up her job to stay home with her mother after the death of her father. But three years is a long time to live in small town Mississippi. What a good thing she has her best friend, Brooks Elliott, to keep her sane. The two of them have always been there for each other. But when a mysterious stranger comes to town, will Brooks realize that Caroline is more than just his best friend?

I liked Hathaway's modern take on Emma. She created modern scenarios that were just as cringe-worthy as any Austen created for the heroine she felt that no one but she could like, but which were true to the time period. Hathaway didn't feel like she needed to follow the story exactly, but created a plot that remained true to the feel of the original Austen while maintaining a very original feel.

JH

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