Alexa Adams's Blog, page 8

The Ladies of Norland: Part Five

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part FourEdward departed the following day before breakfast. Elinor was awake to say goodbye, a ceremony conducted with a great deal of awkwardness. His behavior betokened a guilty conscience, and she wondered, watching his carriage pull away, what it was he concealed. Trusting that explanations would likely materialize when next they met, she returned to the

The Ladies of Norland: Part Four

Part One / Part Two / Part ThreeThe family were all assembled at breakfast one mid-summer morning when Mrs. Dashwood received a letter from her cousin, Sir John Middleton. She had not seen her Devonshire relations in many years, but upon the reception of a heartfelt letter of condolence after Mr. Dashwood’s passing, the two had resumed a regular correspondence.“Sir John presses me most earnestly

The Ladies of Norland: Part Three

Part One / Part TwoThe speculation that consumed Mrs. Dashwood and her second daughter was also in the forefront of Fanny Dashwood’s mind, as she happily perceived her brother making strong inroads upon both Elinor’s and her mother’s affections. She wrote to her own mother regarding her expectations and was encouraged by that quarter to support the budding romance with a promise of the same

The Ladies of Norland: Part Two

Read Part OneThe John Dashwoods remained at Norland several months, not from any disinclination on the part of their hostess to be rid of them, but rather a peculiarly gratifying sense of martyrdom that Mrs. Dashwood had developed in response to their continued company. For a period of time, she found her suffering rendered even more satisfyingly acute by the imposition which she endured, but

The Ladies of Norland: Part One

The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the center of the property, where they had for many generations lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate was a single man who lived to a very advanced age and who, for many years

Twisted Austen 2020: The Ladies of Norland

It's that time of year when I insist on overtaxing myself by writing a story that few will read and might prove detrimental to my career. Welcome to Twisted Austen, my annual event conceived in the spirit of Halloween but which really just serves to infuriate and confuse my fellow Janeites. That’s not being totally fair to myself. Some readers do actually seem to really like these stories, but I

Streaming the Pride and Prejudice Musical

During the hard lockdown I only had very few, very precious hours to myself. I managed to luck into a couple when the Pride and Prejudice musical flopped hard with my husband and daughter, and I was abandoned to relish it alone. I didn't really mind. Justin Mortellitit and Mary Mattison as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.A product of Tony nominee Paul Gordon and directed by Robert Kelley of 

Strange Beauty Secrets from the Late 18th/Early 19th Centuries

When posting my Twisted Austen story I am Lady Catherine way back in 2017, I received a lot of comments regarding a reference to an 18th century beauty treatment called pigeon water. This is indeed a real thing, used by none other than Marie Antoinette, who was said to have bathed her face in it every day. I hunted down the recipe for its preparation in the 1832 text The Toilette of Health,

The Ladies of Norton, Coming Soon!

I'm writing! Wow! It feels good and has been way, way too long. I've only carved out a few days to get this Twisted Austen story completed, but it will hopefully be ready to post here the week before Halloween. If I miss my self-imposed deadline, I'll post it late. Whenever it's ready. It's just really excited to be working on something new, and I am having a blast with this twist. Mrs. Dashwood

Harping on Harps

Lady with a Harp: Eliza Ridgely, 1818.Thomas Sully, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art.Inspired by an article in Persuasions, I have been dwelling on the role the harp plays in Austen’s novels. The essay points to the instrument as an indicator of social status, as only the quite wealthy had both the leisure to learn and the ability to afford one. I was further struck by how Austen, with