The Heiress by Molly Greeley

 

The Heiress is subtitled “The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh.”  The Heiress gives a long overdue story to poor Anne de Bourgh.  Anne is a minor character in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and is Mr. Darcy’s cousin.  Lady Catherine de Bourgh is overbearing and insists that Anne and Darcy were meant for each other.  Anne barely speaks and seemingly has no personality.  She is discussed as being too sick to participate in life.  Why is she sick?

In The Heiress, Anne de Bourgh is given laudanum as a baby and grows up addicted.  Whenever she goes off the medicine she is “too sick” to continue as she goes through withdrawal and is put back on the medication.  Although her father and a governess try to help, Anne grows up in a haze.  Her only happiness is driving her ponies in the morning before her first dose of the day.  After her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam visits with his new bride and invites her to London, Anne takes a chance and travels to London while her mother is out of town.  Will Anne be able to break her addiction? Will she be able to become her own person?

I LOVED Anne’s journey. SPOILER ALERT:  This explanation of laudanum addiction fit with the character from the original novel.  I enjoyed Anne’s journey as she realized what she wanted out of life.  I also greatly enjoyed when Anne was able to finally put Lady Catherine in her place and kick her out to the dower house.  Anne gains a great love for another woman, Eliza, in this book and their romance is the focus of the last part of this novel.  I thought this was fascinating.  I thought it was interesting how Mr. Watters offered for Anne to have a marriage of convenience understanding that they would live their separate love lives.  I wonder how many of those marriages existed during Regency times?  I loved how Anne realized that she wanted to control her own fortune and future and that any marriage would take that away from her.  SPOILER END.

I read this for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club that was in May.  We had a great discussion about this book.  I think everyone enjoyed Anne getting her own story and happy ending.  The only negatives were that some felt the beginning was too slow and depressing.  I didn’t have a problem with that as it set up the story well for Anne making a change.

This would make a great read for Pride month.

Favorite Quotes:

“Ladies are sometimes seen as idle creatures, are we not?  But women do work, and our work is important – vital, even.  It just happens to be quieter than the work done by men.”

“But . . . I have been made small – have allowed myself to made small – for the entirety of my life.”

Overall, The Heiress is a wonderful literary story that finally gives Anne de Bourgh her due.  I highly recommend this for all lovers of Pride and Prejudice.

Book Source:  Review Copy from William Morrow.  Thank-you!