Sitting on a fence in the wonderful July sunshine watching his brother Tom putting his horse through his paces, Edmund was doing his own internal fence sitting. What would he do when he grew up? He knew what Tom was doing, but what did he want to be after finishing at Eton? As the oldest boy, Tom was secure in knowing his inheritance while enjoying his pleasures of gambling, horses and women. Edmund was much more the responsible of the two lads and more reflective as he pondered his future. In the midst of his summer of indecision, two women entered his life that would be to unlocking of the happiness of his future. One is the small and timid Fanny Price, a poor relative who his family had taken in for charity and to help his mother. The other was the enchanting Mary Crawford, always ready with a laugh on her lips to brighten up his day, yet not always quite as she seemed. Despite her protestations, she clearly thirsts for power and a higher station in life. Along with her flirtatious brother Henry, the Crawford siblings, bring joy into the lives of the Bertram family, along with some very profound and dramatic changes - some positive and others much less so.

Amanda Grange has done an intriguing and empathic retelling of Jane Austin's "Mansfield Park" with her focus an Edmund and how he determines his choices in life. As Edmund relies on the Fanny as his confidante while insensitve to her feelings about him as he discusses his love for Mary, Edmund isn't the classic hero, however, the skill Grange demonstrates in getting inside his thinking makes his actions more clearly understood and much more likeable as a person.

Jane Austin fans as well as other romance readers are sure to swoon over this gem as Grange is totally attuned to the style, pace and lifestyle of the classic Regency period. Her masterful skill is also apparent as she makes her characters come alive in such a natural way. Readers new to Amanda Grange can also delight in her other retelling stories, such as Mr. Knightley's Diary and Captain Wentworth's Diary.

Book Summary

At ten years of age, Fanny Price came to live with Edmund Bertram and his family at Mansfield Park. Far from the brat Edmund expected, Fanny became his closest confidante and dearest friend.

But when the fashionable Crawford siblings— Henry and Mary—come to town, they captivate the Bertram family. Henry embarks on a scandalous flirtation with Edmund's sister, who is already betrothed to another, while Edmund is enchanted by Mary's beauty and wit. But when it appears that Mary is not all she seems to be, Edmund will turn to the one woman who has always been at his side to find the happiness he deserves—Fanny.