Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl

Ten authors draw inspiration from Pride and Prejudice in this charming anthology focused on the wit and spirit of Austen’s enduring heroine Elizabeth Bennet. Several tales imagine future moments between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, as in Christina Morland’s “Atmospheric Disturbances,” which sees Elizabeth taking Darcy to task for his different personas in public and private, and Christina Boyd’s “A Mate for Life,” in which an elderly Elizabeth gives romantic advice to her granddaughter. Others offer playful reimaginings: Jenetta James writes Elizabeth as a budding suffragette in “The House Party,” while Beau North casts Darcy as a studio head and Elizabeth as a talented actress in her golden age of Hollywood–set retelling “Love in Limelight.” Karen M. Cox’s “Resistive Currents” and Leigh Dreyer’s “The Last Blind Date” similarly transpose the story in time, setting it in 1980s Nebraska and present-day Oklahoma, respectively. The variety of narratives offers something for Austenites of all stripes, and the authors’ enthusiasm for Elizabeth and Darcy’s sparring romance is infectious. Pride and Prejudice fans should take note. (Self-published)