Author: Alice McVeigh
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Warleigh Hall Press
Release Date: 2021
Pages: 342
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: Susan is a Jane Austen Prequel (or Pride and Prejudice Variation) brilliantly capturing Austen's own Lady Susan as a young girl.
Familiar characters abound - Frank Churchill, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr Collins - but Susan - mischievous and manipulative - is the star. This is Austen that even Austen might have loved, with a touch of Georgette Heyer in the romantic sections. Fans of Bridgerton will also relish this classic regency romance, the first in a six-book series.
Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson - pretty but poor, clever but capricious - has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London.
At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches her to her uncle Collins' rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and "where nothing ever happens."
Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. What with the unexpected arrival of Frank Churchill, Alicia's falling in love and a tumultuous elopement, rural Kent will surely never seem safe again...
My Review: Lady Susan is one of Jane Austen’s least known works. Her protagonist, Lady Susan, was known to be one of Jane Austen’s most ruthless characters. Susan is a prequel to Lady Susan. Before Susan became a wealthy widow, she was orphaned and penniless at sixteen. However, she was very ambitious to rise up in her station and gain a wealthy husband.
I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and I have read her works numerous times. However, I have only read Lady Susan once. This is because I have found Lady Susan to be so unlikable that I did not want to reread the novella again. Still, I was interested in the prequel because I wanted to learn what made her wicked.
I have to say that I liked Susan better in the prequel. I sympathized with her more than I did in the novella. This is because Mrs. McVeigh does an excellent job in describing Susan’s poor circumstances. I could see why she was very ambitious and a social climber. Susan was very vain, manipulative, yet very intelligent. She knew she was beautiful and used her good looks to achieve her own ends. Nevertheless, Susan was a very fascinating character, and I could not help but be enthralled with her story. I could see how she would turn into the Lady Susan that many readers would come to know.
Overall, this novel is about ambition, friendship, and love. I liked how the novel included characters from Jane Austen’s other novels. I also found the book to be very well-written and engaging. Mrs. McVeigh does a fantastic job in bringing the Regency-era to life! The only thing I did not like about this book was that there were some scenes that were drawn out at times. Nevertheless, it made light reading on a breezy Sunday afternoon! It was a very fun and entertaining read! Susan is not only a must-read for Jane Austen fans but also for those who love origin stories of famous characters! I recommend this novel for fans of Kellynch, The Other Bennet Sister, and The Pursuit of Mary Bennet!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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