Finding Jane Fairfax
By Robbin J. Peterson
You know Jane Fairfax from Jane Austen's Emma. You know that Emma wasn't her biggest fan or even her bestie. But what was her story before she left the Campbells, before Miss Campbell became Mrs. Dixon. And how did she and Frank Churchill meet and form a secret attachment? Well, Finding Jane Fairfax will give a glimpse into the lives of two young people who were an important part of Highbury Society even when they didn't call it home.
This was an interesting read. Jane never felt she deserved the life she was living with the Campbells. The Campbells were a loving family who treated Jane as if she were part of their family. The problem was that Society didn't accept her or her situation. She knew that her only hope for the future lay in taking a position as a governess.
Frank felt unwanted and cast off by his father, as his Aunt and Uncle Churchill raised him. And by raising, he was under his aunt's disapproval almost constantly. His friends were too lowly; standing up for the defenseless was beneath him. In short, his aunt was raising him to be a kowtowed snob. And as for his future wife, his aunt would choose her and mold her into a replica of herself. I didn't like Frank's Aunt Churchill in Emma but in Finding Jane Fairfax she is so much worse, making Lady Catherine de Bourgh seem positively docile.
The characters were well-developed, as was the setting. I appreciated how aspects of Jane's letters to Highbury were worked into the story. Overall, this was a well-written and engaging book. And as anyone who is familiar with Emma knows how Frank and Jane's story ends, but this book ends before either of them returns to Highbury.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Jane Fairfax knows she is truly fortunate. Most orphans face lives of hardship, whereas she was adopted by doting surrogate parents who elevated her place in Society and loved her as their own. Yet even they cannot shield her from the grim realities of life without a suitable marriage. In moments of despair, Jane comforts herself with a well-worn memory: that of a young man whose kind words when they were children once soothed her heartbreak. But now that boy has grown into a dashing gentleman―and their lives could not be more distant.
Frank Churchill is a prisoner of his station. His inheritance is held in the balance by his demanding aunt, and the weight of her expectations is suffocating him. But when a chance encounter brings the lovely Miss Fairfax back into his life, he discovers what it is to truly live. As the pair secretly become acquainted amid the confines of Society’s strict rules, their friendship blossoms into love. But in a world ruled by unyielding traditions, endeavoring to build a life together would mean inviting a scandal that would shake the very foundation of the ton.
AUTHOR BIO
Robbin J. Peterson is the author of Going Home, Conviction, and 13 Days of Girls Camp. She earned her degree in English literature from Utah State University and her associate of arts degree from Snow College. She has six kids, plays the viola, and works as an elementary school librarian.
