Pemberley Remembered

Pemberley Remembered
Mary Simonsen

Reviewed for Front Street Reviews

Was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice based upon real people and historical events? Does Pemberley actually exist under a different name? This delightful and ambitious novel explores the possibilities.

Maggie Joyce came of age during WW2 and left her coal-mining town of Minooka, PA. to work as a typist in Washington D.C. After the war she applied for several jobs and landed one in London with a brief stopover in Frankfurt. Knowing Maggie’s love for Austen, a friend took her out to Montclair, which was rumored to be Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley of long ago. The new American owners graciously took them on a tour of the mansion and explained how they were restoring it but Maggie was far more interested in Elizabeth Bennet so they sent her to the village to meet Jack and Beth Crowell. They immediately became fast friends and through conversation, old letters, and diaries the Crowells slowly revealed details about the lives of the Bennet sisters as well as the other characters in Pride and Prejudice.

Between the wonderful visits to the Crowell’s and packets of documents to pore over and ponder, Maggie also started a new relationship with an American still stationed in London who had been a navigator on a B-17 bomber. Rob was still mourning the tragic death of his friend Pat who was killed by flak right next to him on a mission. As a result he kept his emotions firmly in check and refused to talk about making a commitment to Maggie who responded by throwing herself further into the absorbing mystery surrounding the old Bennet family.

This is more than just your average addition to the popular new Austen genre. Mary Simonson has a knowledge of both World Wars and post war London and Germany that is not just impressive but rivals many historians. Incredible detailed accounts go much farther than recounting the facts but make the pain, suffering, and resilience of her characters come alive as they absorb the effects of war. Bravely avoiding “blind patriotism” she speaks frankly of shell shock, sustained trauma, and marriages destroyed by the weight of loss, as well as the struggle to rebuild England and Europe.

In contrast is the delightful story of the Bennet family. Highly ambitious, it gives minute details about the family, where they came from and what became of them, which imbues their lives with fuller, richer dimensions. Some parts reminded me of Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Life of Charlotte Bronte and the legal trouble the Bronte sisters had as a result of basing their stories on real people. It helped me to suspend disbelief and enjoy this lovely, surprisingly plausible ride.
I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.
This is Mary Simonsen’s first novel.
Author Web Site