The Clergyman's Wife

September 30, 2019
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. In a time when women had only two choices—get married, or become a burden to one’s family—Charlotte chose the former, even though she isn’t in love with her husband, Vicar William Collins, a simpering sycophant to their patroness, the condescending, haughty know-it-all Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Charlotte is resigned to her fate and enjoying her growing toddler daughter, Louisa, when she meets Mr. Travis, a tenant of Lady Catherine’s. For the first time, she feels heard and understood by a man, and realizes that while her life is socially acceptable, something vital is missing from her feelings about her husband. With tight prose and expert characterization (and, sadly, a finale true to those times), 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.

November 8, 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

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
Jane Austen fans familiar with Charlotte Lucas?a minor character in Pride and Prejudice who pragmatically weds the odious Mr. Collins?will re-examine their opinions of her after reading this intelligent portrait of her life in the years after her marriage. Three years after the end of Austen's novel, Charlotte has settled into her life as the wife of a vicar and the mother of a young daughter when she befriends Mr. Travis, a local tenant farmer. Despite their class differences, the two form an intimate friendship?one which forces Charlotte to look hard at her marriage to a man she does not love, and second guess the importance of practicality over passion. Readers will appreciate Greeley's attention to historical detail and her astute characterization as she adeptly uncovers nuances of character in both Charlotte and her husband that feel fresh while also ringing true to Austen's writing. Hand this to fans of other Austen spinoffs, including Jo Baker's Longbourn (2013), who will devour this thoughtful, moving, readable debut.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)