Publishers Weekly
12/19/2022
Greeley (The Heiress) draws on a 16th-century episode that inspired “Beauty and the Beast” in her moving if overwrought latest. In Tenerife, a hairy baby boy is found abandoned at a church and taken in by a woman who has seen most of her family killed or captured by the Spanish conquerors. Given the name Pedro, he’s subjected to other children’s taunts and known as La Bestia. Later, he’s abducted by pirates, sold at the market, and finally, at roughly 10 years old in 1547, taken to Blois. At the French court, Pedro studies French, Latin, Greek, and Italian, and his scholarship astonishes the courtiers and makes King Henri proud, thus securing Pedro a place at the court. Pedro’s marriage in 1570 to Catherine, 17, is rocky at first, as she’s forced into the union to clear her merchant father’s debt and turned off by Pedro’s appearance. Greeley nicely develops the gradual bond between Catherine and Pedro, which blossoms into unconditional love, though the story tends to drag and the writing is prosaic (faced with news described as wind that “whips like a storm,” a character cannot “stopper his ears against it, cannot deny its stormy force”). Readers who enjoy retold fairy tales may want to take a look. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"Enchanting. Molly Greeley has pulled off a piece of magic, traversing the 16th-century courts of Paris and Rome to tell a dazzling love story about the outcast's ache to be cared for and belong. This book broke my heart and put it back together again." — Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman
“One of the most moving novels I’ve read in years, Marvelous is an extraordinary portrait of the extraordinary marriage that inspired 'Beauty and the Beast.' Rich in compassion, wonder, and intimacy, Molly Greeley’s latest will break your heart open in the best possible way, proof that the best fairy tales are woven from the mysteries of human experience. Simply superb." — Kris Waldherr, author of Unnatural Creatures and The Lost History of Dreams
"Marvelous will tear at your heart, especially knowing how historically accurate it is in many instances. Petrus and Catherine were real people with real issues and the author does a beautiful job presenting this to her readers. Marvelous is an amazing book." — Romance Reviews Today
“Greeley’s storytelling is intricate, masterly, and delightfully imaginative. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal (starred review) on The Heiress
“Pride and Prejudice retellings abound, but none are quite like Molly Greeley’s.” — Oprahmag.com on The Heiress
“Greeley is faithful to the original story, while creating an imaginative and vivid inner life for the beleaguered Anne. This inventive novel will delight Pride and Prejudice fans, and win over readers who are skeptical of Austen reimaginings.” — Booklist (starred review) on The Heiress
“Greeley debuts with a delightful yet poignant historical inspired by Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, from the pragmatic point of view of Charlotte Collins, a friend of Elizabeth Bennet’s who married one of Elizabeth’s cast-off suitors. With tight prose and expert characterization, Greeley easily draws readers into the world she’s created while largely staying true to Pride and Prejudice’s original plot. Ideal for fans of Austen’s work, Greeley’s strong debut also stands on its own.” — Publishers Weekly on The Clergyman’s Wife
“There’s a hint of D. H. Lawrence in this nuanced, cleverly plotted Pride and Prejudice spin-off. Greeley builds Charlotte’s world artfully…You needn’t be an Austen fan to relish Greeley’s spirited first novel.” — BBC on The Clergyman’s Wife
