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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780979893308
ISBN number: 0979893305
Label: TRC Castle Garden Publishing
Manufacturer: TRC Castle Garden Publishing
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 441
Printing Date: November 30, 2007
Publishing house: TRC Castle Garden Publishing
Sale Popularity Level: 193043
Studio: TRC Castle Garden Publishing
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Product Description:
While visiting Montclair, an 18th Century Georgian country house located in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England, Maggie Joyce, a 22-year old American living in postwar London, is told that the former residents of the mansion, William Lacey and Elizabeth Garrison, were the inspiration for the characters of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen's masterpiece, Pride & Prejudice, and that Montclair is the novel's Pemberley. During her visit to the nearby Village of Crofton, Maggie meets Beth and Jack Crowell, both of whom have ties to the Lacey family and Montclair, and who know if the legends associated with the house and Fitzwilliam Darcy are true. While exploring the truth behind the romance of Darcy and Elizabeth, Maggie is drawn into the love story of the Crowells, who married in the midst of the horrors of World War I, as well as her own love story with Rob McAllister, an American who flew on bombing missions over Germany during World War II, and who has returned to England for his own deeply personal reasons. Pemberley Remembered is a story of lovers who bridge class differences in Regency England, but it is also speaks to love and loss in postwar England.
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Rated by buyers 
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Maggie Joyce is a young single woman living in London after World War II. Originally from America, she works as a typist at the War Office in London, awaiting and dreading the orders that will eliminate her position and send her home. While in England, Maggie decides to explore the setting of one of her favorite novels, Pride and Prejudice. Along with Rob, her commitment-phobic boyfriend who is still recovering from emotional wounds he received during the war, she explores England in a delightful fashion.
Maggie visits a home rumored to be the inspiration for Pemberley, the ancestral family home of Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. During her stay, she meets Jack and Beth Crowell, who seem to have an insider's perspective on the story behind Pride and Prejudice. As she forges a friendship with Jack and Beth, they begin to share their knowledge with her, leaving tantalizing clues as to the real events which inspired Austen's famous story. As Maggie finds the evidence more and more irrefutable, she begins to wonder about Jack and Beth. How is it possible they have this much intimate information regarding Pride and Prejudice? What is their secret?
Pemberley Remembered is historical fiction in the broadest sense. Not only does it cover Austen's Regency England; it is a revealing portrait of World War II and postwar England as well. Any fan of either will greatly enjoy this book. However, it is also a story of romance, the likes of which are unsurpassed in today's literary climate. I am hesitant to categorize the book as a romance, because while it is the story of Maggie and Rob and their love for each other, there is so much more that develops in the novel.
When a reader hears the title Pemberley Remembered, the very first thing that comes to mind is Jane Austen's famous novel Pride and Prejudice. Any real fans of that work will most likely clamour to read this novel; anyone who does not recognize the name Pemberley will pass it by, even after picking it up to read the synopsis. What a mistake they would be making!
Simonsen's Pemberley Remembered is not just for fans of Jane Austen. True, a devout reader of Pride and Prejudice has an advantage due to the cavalier references throughout the book, which doesn't contain much summary. Parts of the novel might be a bit long and drawn out as Maggie strives to find the answers behind Pride and Prejudice's main characters and the real lives they may or may not have been based upon. So, being an Austen fan would be a definite plus (personally, I feel like a reader would have missed out on some of the most delightful parts of the book if they did not have familiarity with Austen), but not having read Pride and Prejudice should not preclude a reader from picking up Pemberley Remembered.
The most remarkable aspect of Pemberley Remembered is Simonsen's ability to take multiple stories from completely different time periods and fuse them together into a cohesive whole. Maggie's search for answers, Jack and Beth's story, the horrors of war, the development of Maggie and Rob's relationship, the story of the Garrisons and Laceys (the supposed characters the Bennets and Darcys were modeled upon), all while keeping the reader's interest in the mysteries of the novel - it is quite an achievement. Simonsen devotes ample time to each storyline, never neglecting one for another. The result is a beautiful, full book that is not a quick read - the complicated nature of the novel does not allow for that. Instead, it is a slower, satisfying read, another rarity with books today.
Pemberley Remembered is a shining addition to the world of historical fiction. While the reader may find some storylines more interesting than others, all are well written. There are so many books based on Pride and Prejudice or about it being released right now, and many of them are disappointing at best. Pemberley Remembered is what these books should be - a novel in its own right. While Pride and Prejudice is a big factor in the book, it does not define it. It can stand very well on its own merit, and because of that, any reader will most likely enjoy this book.
Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book
Rated by buyers -
Pemberley Remembered is a complex and multi-layered novel. It offers an interesting tale, not only for fans of Pride and Prejudice but also for those interested in World War II history. The novel tells not just the story of Elizabeth and Darcy - with the fascinating premise that they might be based on real people - but interweaves this with two more love stories. First, that of Beth and Jack - who have to overcome not only the struggles of World War I, but also the class divide to find happiness; secondly that of 22 year old Maggie Joyce, who while living in post-war England, not only researches the history behind Pride and Prejudice but also begins a romance of her own with Rob - who has to face his own demons after serving in the Air Force during WWII.
There are a rich array of characters - all with their own complex histories and tales to tell. I especially enjoyed the mystery unfolding as we learnt more about the past and the family relationships of each of the sets of characters - most especially through their letters & diaries from the 1790's, the early 1800's and the 1940's.
The book reveals to us not only a story of love but also one of the consequences of war - and while I was drawn to the book as a fan of Jane Austen, it certainly taught me a lot of WWII history too.
Rated by buyers 
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I really enjoyed reading this book. I've read some other P&P sequels and wished I hadn't. Mary Simonsen's book will give the reader some realistic insight into those characters that we loved so much from P&P, while giving us new characters and relationships to love.
I was excited to hear that the author is planning a sequel. I look forward to reading it.
Rated by buyers -
I've found that when it comes to historical fiction there are two types of books: those that transport me back in time on a cozy Sunday afternoon and those that need to be savored in small bites over time. Pemberley Remembered is definitely the latter.
Pemberley Remembered is actually a story within a story. The main character is 22 year old American Maggie Joyce, living in post-war London. While there she happens upon an interesting tidbit of information. She is told that it is possible that the characters in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice were based upon real people. Drawn into the possibilities, Maggie seeks to learn more about these people. Maggie's own live life, well you'll have to find out for yourself.
Pemberley Remembered will be well accepted by those individuals who are diehard fans of Jane Austen. The sheer complexity of the web woven here is staggering. The book also explores the culture of postwar England to some degree. Still, the primary focus is the Jane Austen connection.
Rated by buyers -
I am not a fan of Jane Austen. It's not that I dislike her; I just don't go out of my way to read her works, which means the only Jane Austen books I've read were required reading in high school and college in my distant (very distant) past. However I am a history fanatic and always appreciate good literature. You do not need to be a Jane Austen fanatic to enjoy Pemberley Remembered. You do not necessarily even need to know who Jane Austen is. Mary Simonsen weaves three stories together with masterful artistry, flawless writing, and impeccable historical research. (Yes I spot fact checked the book. Yes I am anally retentive). This is no dry historical tome though; Ms. Simonsen's descriptions, settings, and dialog all bear marks of loving attention resulting, among other things, a multi-dimensional main character you come to care about. This is Ms. Simonsen's very first novel, but hopefully will not be her last.
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