Dancing with Mr. Darcy: Stories Inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House
Comprised of the three winners of the Chawton House Library short story competition as well as 17 runners up, this collection offers a wide variety of takes on Austen, her life, her literature, and her impact&#x2014;with nary a zombie in sight. The winning entry, Victoria Owen&#x2019;s &#x201C;Jane Austen over the Styx&#x201D; finds Jane on judgment day being called to task by five characters she skewered in her novels. Elsa A. Solender&#x2019;s &#x201C;Second Thoughts&#x201D; draws from Austen&#x2019;s biography to explore her decision to accept the proposal of Harris Bigg-Withers, only to recant the next day. Kirsty Mitchell&#x2019;s &#x201C;Jayne&#x201D; gets inside the head of a soft-core model who is both well read and eminently practical. Elizabeth Hopkinson&#x2019;s &#x201C;The Delaford Ladies&#x2019; Detective Agency&#x201D; sends up Alexander McCall Smith&#x2019;s series, casting the now married Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as sleuths in a light-hearted mystery. Clair Humphies details an Austen-themed bachelorette weekend that goes awry until a dashing Mr. Darcy type shows up in &#x201C;The Jane Austen Hen Weekend.&#x201D; A lively and diverse collection. --Kristine Huntley