The Clergyman's Wife: A Pride & Prejudice Novel

by Molly Greeley Narrated by Susie Riddell

Overview

For everyone who loved Pride and Prejudice-and legions of historical fiction lovers-an inspired debut novel set in Austen's world.

Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford's vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners, and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Intelligent, pragmatic, and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life, an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine.

In Mr. Travis' company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life,*Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart-and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted, and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman's life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman's wife.

Fans of Jane Austen will love this debut novel set in the world of Pride and Prejudice.

Follow Charlotte Collins, the clergyman's wife, as she navigates the expectations of society and discovers the true meaning of love and passion.

HarperCollins 2024

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Susie Riddell portrays every one of the many characters in Greeley’s Austen-inspired novel so credibly that it’s hard to believe she’s alone in the recording booth. In the world of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Elizabeth Bennet’s friend, Charlotte Lucas, has made a sensible match, marrying Vicar William Collins. His patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, keeps Collins on a short leash, and Riddell precisely captures her sharp tongue as well as Collins’s embarrassingly slavish behavior toward her. Riddell makes clear Charlotte’s distaste for her husband’s social-climbing ways yet shows her strong sense of duty and commitment to William. When the unexpected occurs, Charlotte’s life undergoes a disturbing shift. Riddell’s strong narration of this debut novel will make listeners hope for more trips to Austen-land. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"Greeley's attention to historical detail and her astute characterization as she adeptly uncovers nuances of character in both Charlotte and her husband . . . feel fresh while also ringing true to [Jane] Austen’s writing. . . Fans of other Austen spinoffs . . . will devour this thoughtful, moving, readable debut." — Booklist

"The Clergyman’s Wife is a poignant, pensive, and brilliant exploration of women’s lot in early nineteenth-century England and how one woman rose to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear." — Laurel Ann Nattress, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

"The Clergyman’s Wife is a compelling, beautifully rendered view into the soul of Pride and Prejudice’s Charlotte Collins, and into the bittersweet realities of the life of compromise she chose when she married for security rather than love. Molly Greeley manages to tell Charlotte’s story in a refreshingly contemporary style while at the same time keeping the reader’s feet firmly planted in a time gone by." — Shannon Winslow, author of The Darcys of Pemberley

“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 suitorsWith 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

"There’s a hint of DH 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

BBC

"There’s a hint of DH 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."

Laurel Ann Nattress

"The Clergyman’s Wife is a poignant, pensive, and brilliant exploration of women’s lot in early nineteenth-century England and how one woman rose to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear."

Shannon Winslow

"The Clergyman’s Wife is a compelling, beautifully rendered view into the soul of Pride and Prejudice’s Charlotte Collins, and into the bittersweet realities of the life of compromise she chose when she married for security rather than love. Molly Greeley manages to tell Charlotte’s story in a refreshingly contemporary style while at the same time keeping the reader’s feet firmly planted in a time gone by."

Booklist

"Greeley's attention to historical detail and her astute characterization as she adeptly uncovers nuances of character in both Charlotte and her husband . . . feel fresh while also ringing true to [Jane] Austen’s writing. . . Fans of other Austen spinoffs . . . will devour this thoughtful, moving, readable debut."

Booklist

"Greeley's attention to historical detail and her astute characterization as she adeptly uncovers nuances of character in both Charlotte and her husband . . . feel fresh while also ringing true to [Jane] Austen’s writing. . . Fans of other Austen spinoffs . . . will devour this thoughtful, moving, readable debut."

Library Journal

11/08/2019

DEBUT Finally, Charlotte Lucas, the practical friend of Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, gets a fuller story taking up her life married to the loquacious, proud, and obsequious Rev. William Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh's vicar and heir to the Longbourn estate. Settling into her life caring for her daughter Louisa, Charlotte learns the duties of visiting parishioners while tolerating Lady Catherine's condescension and "suggestions." This is her interior story of compromise and boredom to desperation. Charlotte's unexpected and totally inappropriate friendship with tenant farmer Mr. Travers both enlivens her Hunsford existence and threatens to change everything. For the first time she feels someone wishes to know her interests and thoughts as she learns the potential of emotional intimacy. When the Longbourn estate becomes available she's faced with a choice that will change the course of her life. Greeley captures the literary flavor and society of Jane Austen's novels. Austenites will appreciate her faithful depiction of favorite familiar characters while creating a new story for them. VERDICT Recommended for general fiction collections and Austen fans eager to revisit the popular characters and places in Pride and Prejudice.—Cheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA

DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Susie Riddell portrays every one of the many characters in Greeley’s Austen-inspired novel so credibly that it’s hard to believe she’s alone in the recording booth. In the world of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Elizabeth Bennet’s friend, Charlotte Lucas, has made a sensible match, marrying Vicar William Collins. His patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, keeps Collins on a short leash, and Riddell precisely captures her sharp tongue as well as Collins’s embarrassingly slavish behavior toward her. Riddell makes clear Charlotte’s distaste for her husband’s social-climbing ways yet shows her strong sense of duty and commitment to William. When the unexpected occurs, Charlotte’s life undergoes a disturbing shift. Riddell’s strong narration of this debut novel will make listeners hope for more trips to Austen-land. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170125500
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/03/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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