Lady Vernon and Her Daughter: A Novel of Jane Austen's Lady Susan [Hardcover]

Jane Rubino (Author), Caitlen Rubino-Bradway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan was written during the same period as another novella called Elinor and Marianne–which was later revised and expanded to become Sense and Sensibility. Unfortunately for readers, Lady Susan did not enjoy the same treatment by its author and was left abandoned and forgotten by all but the most diligent Austen scholars. Until now.

In Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway have taken Austen's original novella and transformed it into a vivid and richly developed novel of love lost and found–and the complex relationships between women, men, and money in Regency England.

Lady Vernon and her daughter, Frederica, are left penniless and without a home after the death of Sir Frederick Vernon, Susan's husband. Frederick' s brother and heir, Charles Vernon, like so many others of his time, has forgotten his promises to look after the women, and despite their fervent hopes to the contrary, does nothing to financially support Lady Vernon and Frederica.

When the ladies, left without another option, bravely arrive at Charles's home to confront him about his treatment of his family, they are faced with Charles's indifference, his wife Catherine's distrustful animosity, and a flood of rumors that threaten to undo them all. Will Lady Vernon and Frederica find love and happiness–and financial security– or will their hopes be dashed with their lost fortune?

With wit and warmth reminiscent of Austen's greatest works, Lady Vernon and Her Daughter brings to vivid life a time and place where a woman's security is at the mercy of an entail, where love is hindered by misunderstanding, where marriage can never be entirely isolated from money, yet where romance somehow carries the day.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspired by Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan, this biting social comedy from mother-daughter duo Rubino (the veteran author) and Rubino-Bradway (the first-timer) is a delightful, worthy homage to Austen. In 19th-century England, Lady Susan Vernon is left nearly penniless after her honorable, wealthy husband dies and his unscrupulous little brother, Charles, bilks Susan and her daughter, Frederica, of their share of his fortune. Forced to rely upon the kindness of friends, the two spend several months bouncing from home to home. Subjected to the two-faced machinations of her social circle (particularly from Charles's wife, Catherine), Susan cleverly (and believably) turns several of her enemies against each other, using their own words. As in Austen's novels, securing a generous dowry and a good marriage (that is, one with money and status) is the all-important goal of every woman, but Susan is a dynamic character more than capable of delivering a shocking surprise. (Oct.)
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Review

"Like any worthwhile pastiche, this entertaining novel prompts a renewed appreciation of the subtlety and wit of the real Jane Austen, who would never have had a character say '. . . everything is all about money!' even when it was."--Boston Globe

"One imagines it is precisely what Austen would have done with the character had she the inclination to turn her novella into a novel"--Newark Star-Ledger


"Inspired by Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan, this biting social comedy from mother-daughter duo Rubino (the veteran author) and Rubino-Bradway (the first-timer) is a delightful, worthy homage to Austen. In 19th-century England, Lady Susan Vernon is left nearly penniless after her honorable, wealthy husband dies and his unscrupulous little brother, Charles, bilks Susan and her daughter, Frederica, of their share of his fortune. Forced to rely upon the kindness of friends, the two spend several months bouncing from home to home. Subjected to the two-faced machinations of her social circle (particularly from Charles's wife, Catherine), Susan cleverly (and believably) turns several of her enemies against each other, using their own words. As in Austen's novels, securing a generous dowry and a “good” marriage (that is, one with money and status) is the all-important goal of every woman, but Susan is a dynamic character more than capable of delivering a shocking surprise."--Publishers Weekly


"Cleverly inverts the premise of Austen's Lady Susan, with a richness of background and detail that enlivens the original epistolary novel. Should delight the most acute Austen fans."
—Stephanie Barron, national bestselling author of the Jane Austen Mysteries

"A captivating read with a charmingly redeemed heroine–Jane Austen fans will love it!"
—Syrie James, author of the bestselling The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontè

"Austen devotees will appreciate the authenticity of language and setting as well as the many witty allusions to the canon."
—Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

"A delightful trip through the complex world of the Regency, exposing goodness and hypocrisy with equal skill. I was sorry to see it end!"
—Abigail Reynolds, author of Impulse & Initiative

"This solid rethinking of Lady Susan deserves a place on the shelf of any Austen aficionado."
—Marsha Altman, author of the Darcys & the Bingleys

"A delightfully clever resculpting of Austen's youthful Lady Susan. Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway have rewarded honesty and perseverance in the style of Sense and Sensibility. Good fun!"
—Kathryn L. Nelson, author of Pemberley Manor

"I loved this book! A brilliant tour de force in Austen-related fiction and I believe that Jane Austen would be the first to congratulate the authors on their achievement."
—C. Allyn Pierson, author of And This Our Life: Chronicles of the Darcy Family

"I admire the way the authors have paid homage to the Austen style throughout. I loved it."
—Jill Pitkeathley, author of Cassandra & Jane

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Crown (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307461661
• ISBN-13: 978-0307461667
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I can't finish this book, November 22, 2009

By 

Julia Rietmulder-Stone (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady Vernon and Her Daughter: A Novel of Jane Austen's Lady Susan (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I love love love Jane Austen. I love her stories, her language, her wit, her sentence construction, and, you know, pretty much everything else about her, too. I've read all the novels several times a piece. I consider it one of the world's greatest tragedies that she died without writing a dozen more books (okay, maybe that's being a bit dramatic...but only a tiny bit).

And I couldn't get through the first few chapters of the book. IT'S NOT THE SAME. The language in this book strives to be Austenesque, but falls flat. It feels stilted and silly, and lacks that Austen sparkle. If this were a "sequel" to one of the other books, maybe I'd try to suffer through it, but since it's Lady Susan, I'm just not that compelled to keep going. Maybe if you love Lady Susan, really just for the story and not for the writing, you'd like this. And maybe if you love the other Austen fan fic out there, you'd enjoy this. I've only read one or two that I actually enjoyed at all, but this had such good reviews I thought I'd give it a try. Not worth it.

Read Elizabeth Gaskell or the Bronte sisters if you're having a craving. Or re-read Pride & Prejudice again. Or Persuasion, which I appreciate more each time I read it. But don't bother with this book.

(PS - I'm sorry that it looks like people believe all negative reviews to be unhelpful. I hoped to be helpful to those who haven't enjoyed other Austen fan fic but wondered if the positive reviews on this book meant that it would be better. Those of you who are marking this review unhelpful, I'd love to hear more (leave a comment) about what else I could say to make a negative review more helpful.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Austen-esque novel I've read to date, July 23, 2010

By 

AZ Reader (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady Vernon and Her Daughter: A Novel of Jane Austen's Lady Susan (Hardcover)

I completely agree with Chapati and disagree with Julia Rietmulder-Stone. This is the first Austen-esque novel I've read that came anywhere near the Jane Austen "voice" in terms of both language and wit. Both are modernized enough to flow smoothly for today's reader, without going over the top to what amounts to the near val-gal speak from so many Austen wannabes.

I especially liked the way the characters interacted, so much like Austen's amused dissection of society of her own day. Yes, some characters and plot threads were a bit overdrawn, but hey, it's a romantic novel, not heavy literature. An author--or two, in this case--can stretch things a bit without ruining the reader's enjoyment. All I can say is, I was _happy_ while reading this book. Thank you, Jane-tility!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Lackluster and Flat, August 30, 2010

By 

Gypsi Phillips Bates "bilbiophile" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady Vernon and Her Daughter: A Novel of Jane Austen's Lady Susan (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

It was with mixed feelings that I began this book. As a huge Austen fan, I have found that I am rarely satisfied with Austen spin-offs (Pemberly Shades being the exception) but, again as a die-hard Austen fan, I keep trying. Lady Vernon and Her Daughter began well, with the first paragraph engaging me and promising an Austen-esque style. But, sadly, that was the only bit that did. The first pages ramble on and cover two generations with barely a nod at each. Lady Susan (as she should be referred to, not as Lady Vernon) is never developed as a character, with emotions and reasons and thoughts. The other characters are equally unreal, and the plot just never becomes interesting.

While I did not expect Rubino and Rubino-Bradway to BE Austen, I did expect that these ladies would have spent enough time in studying her writings to capture the flavor of the language and descriptions. After all, the are calling this novel "A Jane Austen Novel". The prose feels very flat, lackluster and insipid, and what they meant to be witty Austen-isms simply were not. Even the author Pride, Prejudice and Zombies was able to capture the Austen feel, while going WAY off on a tangent, whereas these authors failed.

My advice is to go back to Austen, if you need an Austen fix, or, if you must read a "continuation" or spin-off, hunt down a copy of Pemberly Shades. (Frankly, I enjoyed Pride, Prejudice and Zombies immensely more than I did Lady Vernon and Her Daughter.) And, please, don't let this novel be your only acquaintance with Austen!