Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things

October 14, 2019
In her first YA novel, Firkins, a playwright, screenwriter, and comics artist, offers a modernized, prudently pared-down retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Three years after her single mother’s death, 17-year-old Edie leaves foster care in Ithaca, N.Y., to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle and their two spoiled teenage daughters in Mansfield, Mass. Her intent is to “bury her head in her books” and hopefully win a scholarship to college, but her status-conscious cousins have other plans; they want to make her over so that she’ll fit into their upper-crust society. Meanwhile, Edie is sidetracked by attention from two potential love interests: childhood friend and next-door neighbor Sebastian, who unfortunately already has a beautiful girlfriend, and handsome Henry, who has a reputation for being a player. Part steamy romance, part comedy of manners, the story effectively mirrors Austen’s writing style with its sharp-witted dialogue and gentle pokes at society. Trapped in a superficial world, Edie emerges as a noble, genuine heroine, who (usually) remembers to follow her late mother’s advice: “If you let your heart drive, don’t forget to bring your brain.” Ages 14–up.

Crushing on unobtainable people is a familiar phenomenon in young adult romance. Just such a story is perfectly delivered by narrator Laura Knight Keating. College hopeful Edie feels out of place in Mansfield, Massachusetts, where she is staying for the summer with her family. While juggling college applications, enduring makeovers by her insistent cousins, and mending past friendships, Edie develops feelings for two untouchable people: the boy next door, who is already spoken for, and a playboy musician. Keating's dynamic narration ranges from alluring romance to thoughtful observation. She portrays Edie as a pensive and somewhat skeptical lead, and while the romance itself is charming, listeners will find the contrast between Edie and her polished yet outlandish cousins amusing. Truly an entertaining performance. G.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine