Ladies of the House

November 1, 2020
Senator Gregory Richardson was an influential member of Congress before his fatal heart attack and before damaging secrets were revealed after his demise. His daughter Daisy, her sister Wallis, and their mother Cricket are devastated not only by the loss of their father and husband but also of life as they know it in their plush Georgetown home. Separately, they make choices meant to protect each other but instead lead to chaos. As things devolve, personal and professional boundaries blur in the messy political Washington, D.C., landscape. If there's a solution out there, surely the Richardson women will find it, won't they? Inspired by Sense and Sensibility, first-novelist Edmondson's favorite Jane Austen novel, this updating remains focused on the female characters while offering an original exploration of their relationships with each other and the men in their lives. A glimpse into D.C. life, solidly dramatic moments at unexpected junctions, and a good balance between reflection and action all blend nicely in one satisfying story. A great choice for book groups (a reader's guide is provided), this fresh take on a somewhat overlooked Austen novel will please her fans as well as readers looking for an emotionally engaging and hopeful story.

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November 30, 2020
Edmondson’s charming debut transports Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility to contemporary Washington, D.C., where a senator’s death leads to scandal. Sen. Gregory Richardson leaves behind his widow and their two daughters, Daisy and Wallis. On the day of the memorial service, with the ink still wet on a story about Gregory’s affair, Daisy, the older daughter, who’s followed her father into politics, fields a call from a reporter with questions about mismanaged campaign funds. She hopes to keep the scandal from further sullying their name as she mourns her father whom she loved despite his faults. Then journalist Atlas Braidy-Lowes (Daisy’s best friend who she has been “trying to fall out love with” for 15 years) returns from England to write a feature on Senator Richardson, and Wallis falls for Blake Darley, a South Carolina politician from the other side of the aisle. As Atlas uncovers the widening scope of the senator’s crimes, the novel finds Austen’s themes alive and well in contemporary society, where women must choose between nice or powerful men and are left without options if a man behaves badly while they try to balance their hearts, careers, and reputations in search of happiness. This retelling is a witty success. Agent: Sarah Phair, Trident Media Group.

February 1, 2021

DEBUT Widowed Cricket Richardson and her daughters Daisy and Wallis believe that the memorial service for the towering patriarch who controlled all their lives will bring them closure and let them start anew. But those hopes are dashed as the story breaks that the late Senator Richardson not only died in bed with his mistress but also stole money from his campaigns and his office to maintain his lifestyle. The negative publicity crashes through their lives, but in its passing they grieve the man they thought they knew and the mess he made of all their lives. As the debris swirls around them, they reach out for new lives, for old loves, and for the strength found in holding onto each other. VERDICT Readers searching for that modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility will find more than enough commonalities to feel that they have gotten their Jane Austen's worth in Edmondson's debut; those less familiar or just looking for a contemporary story filled with dirty politics, family drama, and a touch of romance will discover plenty to sweep them away.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA

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