Be sure to come to our meetings or sign up for our emails to keep in the loop. Buy the paperback book longbourn by jo baker at indigo. Longbourn is the house in which jane austen set pride and prejudice. Jo baker was born in lancashire and educated at oxford university and queens university belfast. From the same stream that fed austens literary imagination, baker has drawn forth something entirely new and fresh. Aug 19, 20 jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback. Editions of longbourn by jo baker meet your next favorite book.
Housemaid sarah often dreams of a life outside of servitude or of some kind of interesting change until mysterious new footman james smith arrives. Published october 8th 20 by books on tape unabridged, audiobook, 14 pages authors. Mentioned only fleetingly in jane austens classic, here jo baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of. Jo baker is a novelist with a gift for intimate and atmospheric storytelling. Pride and prejudice was only half the story if elizabeth bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, sarah often thought, shed most likely be a sight more. She wrote books such as the picture book and offcomer. Longbourn by jo baker meet your next favorite book. Oct, 20 it should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception. I will never read pride and prejudice or any novel about the upper classes in the same way again. Jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Jo bakers novel is the story of the servants who washed the bennet girls linen, soothed mrs bennet when she was distressed, indulged mr bennet when they were obliged to indulge him and all the time carried on with their own unregarded lives.
The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of a country road, a tree, jo bakers gripping followup to her new york times notable book, longbourn. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the bennet sisters is well. O, the oprah magazine original and charming, even gripping, in its own. Baker is a real and very fine writer, and longbourn stands on its own as an engrossing, intelligent historical novel. Jo baker is the author of six novels, most recently longbourn and a country road, a tree. These quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about. Reading guide for longbourn by jo baker discussion guide for book clubs. Jo baker longbourn paperback common by jo baker on. Miami herald if you are a jane austen fan with a pronounced predilection for pride and prejudice, you will devour jo bakers ingenious longbourn as the ambrosia from the austen gods it is. It should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception. Jan 15, 2014 that is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austens famous work, turns it upside down, and shakes out a fully realized and utterly convincing tale of life and romance among the servants. Jo bakers novel is the story of the servants who washed the bennet girls linen, soothed. Jo baker was born in lancashire, england, and educated at oxford university and queens university.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. She lives in lancaster, england, with her husband, the playwright and screenwriter daragh carville, and their two children. The epigraph to the novel is from samuel becketts novel molloy. Oct 08, 20 october 10, 20 jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Longbourn by jo baker 20140617 paperback 1715 by jo baker author. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of the servants living in the bennetts household. That is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austen s famous work, turns it upside down, and shakes out a fully realized and utterly convincing tale of life and romance among the servants. Longbourn is a book that stands alone as having its own story, characters and themeshow far has the author ensured her novel is not pastiche, that it is a novel with a separate identity. It gives an alternative view of the events in jane austen s pride and prejudice, telling the story from the perspective of the servants at longbourn, the bennet family home.
She is the author of the bestselling novel longbourn, as well as a country road, a tree. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of vintage. Chapter of the jane austen society throughout, with a special book club field trip to the 2014 jane austen festival at locust grove in july. O, the oprah magazine original and charming, even gripping, in its own right.
The book offers an unflinching look at the unpleasant physical realities of life in the early nineteenth century, from chilblains and lice to hauling water on freezing mornings, polishing floors, scrubbing foodencrusted dishes. Neither a sequel nor a disappointment, its an affecting look at the world of pride and prejudice, but from. Discover book depositorys huge selection of jo baker books online. The publication of jo bakers new novel longbourn generated the same sort of excitement as the. Longbourn is a profound exploration of injustice, of poverty and dependence, of loyalty. She lives in lancaster, england, with her husband, the playwright and. Longbourn is a 20 novel by the british author jo baker. That is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austens famous work. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
If longbourn is received as a delicious concoction of pride and prejudice meets downton abbey, then, for commercial reasons, no one will feel sorry for jo baker, but for artistic ones, she will have been treated unfairly. Longbourn, by jo baker, is the tale of servants of longbourn house, the home of the bennet family from jane austens pride and predjudice. Oct 16, 20 these quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about. It has been translated into twentyone languages, was shortlisted for the ibw book award and is due be made into. Jo baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of jane austens classic into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starryeyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in regency england during the napoleonic wars and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized. She has also written for bbc radio 4, and her short stories have been included in a number of anthologies. Jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. October 10, 20 jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read longbourn. A country road, a tree by jo baker, paperback barnes. Oct 10, 20 jo baker s longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the.
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