When Miss Maria Ward captivated Sir Thomas, with only two thousand pounds and beauty to recommend her nobody expected the Ward family to make other marriages of interest. But matters of the heart ... or other attractions are difficult to predict and the next Miss Ward married Rev. Norris who was not only the rector of Sir Thomas' estate but also a man with property in Antigua; it was a fortune alliance. Miss Frances, her sister, married a man of an even greater estate and fortune.

Entranced by her lively disposition Mr. Price makes the mistake of believing that once she is his wife gratitude will make her submissive and meek. The difficulties of marriage and the disdain of his family oppresses her and leads to her decline shortly after giving birth to Fanny. Later orphaned little heiress Fanny Price is placed in the care of her aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park.

Mrs. Norris, who was left with a step-son, Edmund, when her husband died, fawns and flatters her until she is turned into an affected and pernicious young lady.
I am sure that Miss Price's ringlets are quite as artfully contrived as her deportment

Maria Bertram is cast into the shadows and poor Julia is not only the object of Mrs. Norris' hectoring but also a very sensitive poetic soul whose love for the avenue and Cowper leads to something unexpected.

Henry Crawford arrives at Mansfield with his sister Mary on a commission to improve the landscape and Mary becomes our central character; The two create a tumult of change for many of the characters. Sir Thomas travels to his estates in the North of England and while in contrast with the original where his departure puts everyone at ease, trouble brews and emotions that have been simmering for far too long boil into vehemence and murder.

Mansfield Park is the most controversial of Jane's novels mainly because of it's heroine. Fanny Price is meek and passive. She is what is expected of a young Regency lady, especially one who is a poor relation. "Pictures of perfection make me sick and wicked" it seems it's not only Jane who feels this way; many have a great dislike of Fanny who is a virtuous creature. I think it's part of Austen's genius that she created a heroine so different from the rest of her cannon. But we'll leave my thoughts on Fanny for another post.

Lynn Shepherd has beautiful command over the Georgian tone of writing. She also incorporates quotes from Jane's letters into Mary's thoughts as well as things people said of her, "the prettiest, silliest, most affected, husband-hunting butterfly." A clever retelling of Mansfield Park that every Janeite will appreciate and enjoy, I rank it as one of my favorites.