Longbourn
Jo Baker takes lovers of Pride and Prejudice belowstairs in her imaginative novel, Longbourn. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
As someone who was obscenely late to the Pride bandwagon, I was utterly delighted by Baker’s novel. I’m a fan of shows like Downton Abbey, and Longbourn reminded me of all the aspects that brought me joy from that show. I loved seeing how Sarah, Polly, and the other servants of the Bennet household kept Longbourn running. Mr. Bennet may have the money, and Mrs. Bennet may make demands, but without the staff, there would be messy petticoats and unmade breakfast and no glamour for the famous Bennet sisters.
Longbourn showed how messy, laborious, and exhausting life was for Sarah and others like her in Regency England. While Elizabeth and the Bennets were living in luxury, Sarah was scrapping by, thought of as simple and plain. But she had dreams and wishes, ones that no one in the upper levels of the house considered.
I like how Baker didn’t completely rehash the entire Pride plot. She of course had to reference it, but she gave readers the benefit of the doubt. We didn’t need to hear every tiny detail again; she knew we wanted to learn something new about the classic romance we all love.
It was interesting how Baker introduced James, the new footman, into the Pride realm. Making him the illegitimate son of Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (before she was a Mrs.) was a way to explain the strained marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. I quite like how James and Sarah fell in love. But James’ military past, the trauma he experienced, and his sudden departure from the Bennet household added the necessary drama to their love story. I like how Sarah never forgot about him and even after months had passed, she didn’t hesitate to go off in search of him when she heard word of him being nearby. Their reunion was sweet and funny and exactly what I wanted to see.
This light, lovely story draws readers beyond the drawing room of Jane Austen’s classic romance and is exactly what I needed. Baker created a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world. Pride and Prejudice lovers will swoon over this novel!
Longbourn Rating: ★★★★
As someone who was obscenely late to the Pride bandwagon, I was utterly delighted by Baker’s novel. I’m a fan of shows like Downton Abbey, and Longbourn reminded me of all the aspects that brought me joy from that show. I loved seeing how Sarah, Polly, and the other servants of the Bennet household kept Longbourn running. Mr. Bennet may have the money, and Mrs. Bennet may make demands, but without the staff, there would be messy petticoats and unmade breakfast and no glamour for the famous Bennet sisters.
Longbourn showed how messy, laborious, and exhausting life was for Sarah and others like her in Regency England. While Elizabeth and the Bennets were living in luxury, Sarah was scrapping by, thought of as simple and plain. But she had dreams and wishes, ones that no one in the upper levels of the house considered.
I like how Baker didn’t completely rehash the entire Pride plot. She of course had to reference it, but she gave readers the benefit of the doubt. We didn’t need to hear every tiny detail again; she knew we wanted to learn something new about the classic romance we all love.
It was interesting how Baker introduced James, the new footman, into the Pride realm. Making him the illegitimate son of Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (before she was a Mrs.) was a way to explain the strained marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. I quite like how James and Sarah fell in love. But James’ military past, the trauma he experienced, and his sudden departure from the Bennet household added the necessary drama to their love story. I like how Sarah never forgot about him and even after months had passed, she didn’t hesitate to go off in search of him when she heard word of him being nearby. Their reunion was sweet and funny and exactly what I wanted to see.
This light, lovely story draws readers beyond the drawing room of Jane Austen’s classic romance and is exactly what I needed. Baker created a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world. Pride and Prejudice lovers will swoon over this novel!
Longbourn Rating: ★★★★