Oh dear, Maria!

by Abigail Ted

Maria Harrington does not know it yet, but the nimble-tongued rogue who swept her off her feet last summer is about to do it again. Though, this time around, she is far less happy about it.

The Honourable Mr Jackson M.P., Maria’s debt-stricken suitor, zones in on the naive damsel after her father reveals the family’s mercantile wealth. Discovering Maria’s sizeable inheritance, the indebted gentleman doesn’t hesitate to claim his new Mrs Jackson, contrary to Maria’s every wish and protestation.

Little does Mr Jackson know; Maria is more than just a ticket to financial independence. This ‘very pretty sort of girl’ is also an emotional grenade whose explosions are sometimes comical and, other times, frightening.

When Maria begins to take a liking to her new husband, her infatuation borders on obsession. It doesn’t take long for Mr Jackson to realise that he has married a madwoman, and the dichotomy of resentment from one and infatuation from the other of her newfound brothers-in-law sends Maria on an emotional spiral that beckons both amusement and dread.

But there was always more to her and Mr Jackson’s connection than Maria ever knew. And after she discovers shocking truths about her husband, Maria’s implosions adopt a character that may endanger more than just her own life.

A vibrant story that pulls readers into a fever-dreamland of crooked morals and varying emotions, Oh dear, Maria! is a wildly romantic yet absurdly tragic tale.

284 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2022

About the author

Abigail Ted is the debut author of, Oh dear, Maria! whose love for 18th and 19th-century fiction transformed into her telling the story of a dynamite damsel with precarious sanity.

Abigail is a PhD student who specialises in black-British authors of the abolition era, her obsession with 200-year-old novels and the writers who authored them is perhaps the first thing you’ll notice after meeting her.

For over a decade, Abigail has enjoyed reading and writing stories that ironise reality, all while securing her bachelor’s in history and education, and her master’s in theology. Today, she may be found munching inspiration from Richardson, Fielding, Austen, Thackeray et al., or perhaps roaming the wild with her mini-me.

Reviews

[Brian Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authors are taught to seek clarity. To literally spell things out. To designate who is hero and villain and make sure those labels stick.

But what is that author proves a trickster instead? Plays a far more challenging game. Subtly coaxes us into a landscape where nothing is at it seems. Diving into “Oh Dear, Maria,” I thought I knew where I was, embroiled in a spot-on rendition of The World According to Austen. There was the all-too-obsessive focus on social ranking, the rapier sharp parlor talk, and the omnipresent narrative voice, a signature of the era, deciding what should be brought to light, and what should be kept out of sight. If the book had contented itself with being this alone, an exquisitely rendered homage, it would have earned its stars with honor.

But soon enough the floor gave way. Mere satire became sinister. Our passage through the Tunnel of Love led straight to the Haunted House. Driven by greed and animal passion, our cast revealed their dark side, a creeping stain on those stiff, starched sheets, impossible to excise. There were hovering parents, back-stabbing siblings, deceit at every turn, with the most disturbing character of all being the titular Maria. Here was a woman who kept us all guessing, flying from ecstasy to despair, who had learned to cope with life’s travails by falling into her self-induced comas, thus providing a haunting metaphor for the silence forced on women.

All in all, Tel has pulled off a major coup. Created a world all her own. One staged in a prison of social restraints but informed by modern psychosis. Reading it we long for a time machine, a way to travel back, and see what Jane Austen herself might make of this brutally honest tale. Or maybe that’s beside the point, and this is one of those rare books that exceed those that came before it.

[Janet Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9
I picked up this book with some apprehension,it really isn’t my usual type of read.
However , I soon got absolutely sucked in to the story line and the characters and found myself discussing the book with others.
I swung from finding Maria amusing to annoying . Pathetic to deserving of genuine pity.
I wouldn’t say I liked all the characters involved but the parts they played were gripping and the plot would often twist in an unexpected direction.
What I didn’t initially realise was that some of the scenarios played out in the book were factual and historically correct.I actually learned some very interesting things.
I was so invested in her by this point .
Refreshingly different for me ,cleverly done !

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the course of the book, Maria transforms from a whiny brat into a hilarious, kind and intelligent woman. I genuinely missed her antics after I finished reading the book. There were quite a few instances that I laughed out loud! The writing style takes a little getting used to, but once I was a few pages in, my mind made the leap and it was smooth sailing.

[Robert Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Dear, Maria! is a strong character driven read that is sure to entertain. There is so much more depth and layers to this story, and dear Maria herself, than one might conclude from first glance of this brilliant novel! What first looks like a classic love story soon turns to be anything but. We get introduced to the complicated life of our heroine dear Maria Harrington, watching her grow in her love life, with friends, and as a person.

I was a fan of our dear Maria from page one. A fact some may find hard to believe since she begins whiney, dramatic, self-obsessed, stubborn, and did I mention dramatic? But even from those early pages, Ted does a wonderful job laying the pieces for the well-layered personality and future growth Maria will soon come by. Her unending love for her family and friends shines brightly in-between tantrums. How quickly she forgives, how much her friends care for her despite her dramatics, and how often she uses those tantrums to support those she cares about, all lay the foundation for the stronger Maria we see grow throughout the story.

It is easy to see the growth and layers of all the complex characters because of the great writing. Ted writes at a quick pace with quick wit that never lost my attention during the story. The interchanging of letters was a fun break from the norm and added more character development as personalities were allowed to shine. Ted’s attention to detail, along with the strong sensory details, immerses readers into the world she built. It allows us to disappear into the scene and feel the emotional weight for the characters at every twist and turn.

Even for readers, such as myself, who would not call this their genre, I highly recommend this book! It’s a fun read built on strong characters with even stronger writing.

[Rance Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Pride and Prejudice, Clarissa, or Castle Rackrent are your jam, then so too will be OH DEAR, MARIA!

Never has a book I've read in the 2000s fit so unique and niche an interest as this, and I'm all about it. I love some classic satire (who doesn't love Swift if you've spent time with him?) and appreciate that this book, from the very beginning, demonstrates the author's knowledge of classical satire: this is a world of hilarious and cringe-y circumstances that seem altogether ridiculous to us, but to these characters, it's Just Everyday Life!

The author does such a killer job at embodying the tone and language of the Regency, which might not be for everyone--but that's okay! It was for me.

Maria's a mess; Maria's life is a mess, and in a way, I think there's a lot to be said about modern romance, too!

If Austenian (is that a word?) turns-of-phrase make you smile, then you'll be right at home with OD,M! A wonderfully intelligent novel with its thumb on the pulse of what made Regency romance so special, while also identifying how similar our drama is right now to that of the "high-class" two hundred years ago!

[Iain Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the type of thing I usually read, Oh dear, Maria! first presents itself as a humorous melodrama and sex-comedy, but this book is far more than just a parody. The language and style is reminiscent of Thackeray’s ‘Vanity Fair’, as is the often self-centred and manipulative nature of the protagonist. Sometimes I found Maria quite insufferable. It’s a story of flawed characters, uncommon female fury, and uncomfortable emotions. I think the reader will see in this novel whatever it is they’re looking to find. I found it to be a serious and sometimes dark and difficult novel to read, disguised by the author as a lighthearted farce.

It was an easy story to get into, a genuinely good read and with moments when I truly couldn’t put it down.

[Ronan Beckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's never been a protagonist quite like Maria! Quirky, mercurial, unpredictable - she was a most unforgettable character. Add to that a trio of brothers with their own reasons for involvement with the lovely Maria and you have all the makings of a compelling story. I found this Regency romp to be full of surprises, which had me turning the pages with great enthusiasm and curiosity in order to discover just what was next. A delightfully delicious read which I highly recommend.

[Erin S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's love (and intimate knowledge) of 18th and 19th C. lit and history shine in this first volume of a Regency histfic published as a Regency triple decker. It reads like the real historical deal in the best way, while giving historically accurate attention to issues that are more in line with 21st century readers' interests. For example, one plot thread follows abolitionist politics (I was thrilled to see Fowell Buxton's name come up and to see him make a brief cameo appearance). A family of secondary characters is black, Maria herself is a quarter Indian and mostly white-passing (ditto her cousin Ralph, another major character). Mental health in a society with a limited framework for understanding mental health/illness (and neurodivergence) is another running thread in the novel. Maria struggles with emotional regulation and at times seems to also struggle with directing attention, with sensory regulation, and with organization. It's not totally clear (at least to me) what diagnosis Maria would be given today-- there were scenes where I thought, oh maybe severe ADHD? Maybe she's autistic? Maybe she's bipolar? But it was never written in a way that suggested to me that she was supposed to be clearly coded as a recognizable thing, and I think that's deliberate and part of the period feel of the writing, that we are not meant to have her struggles make clearer sense to us than to those who know and love her. Eventually it's suggested she might have some minor brain damage from a childhood incident (which would also be classified as neurodivergent). But ultimately, we meet a character who starts out seeming like a bundle of childish chaos, and as we get to know her, we learn that she is sweet, and loyal, and kind, and smart. And I'm looking forward to the next volume! Content warnings below:

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CW: physical and sexual assault, miscarriage, references to child death, slavery, suicide, racism, mental health problems

[Owen Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strange book, and one which does not immediately reveal itself to the casual reader. At one level, this is a combination of Regency pastiche and sex farce - and is historically observant (if not legalistic) and often quite funny. There is much more to this, however.

Perhaps before explaining, it's right to frame why it is not immediately obvious that this is a multilayered and emotionally serious book. In part it is the book's allusive and rhetorical style, which both makes a lot of space for jokes (good jokes!) and which often gestures elegantly to emotional stakes rather than hammers them home. In part, it is that the book starts slowly and deceptively - the first five or six chapters, for instance, give little hint of the real heart of the book, staying largely at the surface.

However, digging deeper one finds a network of themes, largely emotional but sometimes political or theological: what is the role of female sexuality in marriage? what is the nature of social responsibility? do minorities need to "perform" in particular ways to gain the approval of their putative allies? how is injustice, domestic or political, to be faced? how does a person reconcile the many "selves" they have with circumstances, with historic trauma, and with current needs? are humans irremediably good or evil, and is there any hope of social and personal redemption for transgressors? how do mental health problems shape or warp the essential character of a person?

These are all fairly explicit themes *if* the reader pays attention to the text rather than submerges it beneath the apparent genre - and they are well handled, both intelligently and sensitively.

What's more, the core section of the book has an effectively paced plot (after that slow and simple start), and the core of the large ensemble of characters are well-developed, sympathetic (to a given value of sympathetic), and entertaining - Maria and her father, Mr Jackson and his brothers, and Ralph especially. There is fairly subtle characterisation for all the aforementioned and some others, pushing very quickly beyond tropes into a carefully Realist style, though still leavened with a lot of jokes. (In fact, I think the very strong "Regency Realist" influence here will be easily missed beneath the humour and the more 18th century melodramatic elements.) Some characters feel, if not like ciphers, at least like incomplete sketches, but this only applies to one or two.

I enjoyed this a lot - more than I expected - and think that, despite its frankly strange melange of styles, it can be widely enjoyed.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all the kind of literature that I would normally have read, but after beginning I genuinely had difficulty putting it down. Upon completion, I immediately passed the book on to my fiance, and we both enjoyed grappling with its themes. It would be very easy to imagine the text as a movie. The language was eloquent and authentically contemporary, and the author clearly has an extremely deep knowledge of the period (which was at times somewhat difficult for a layman, such as myself, to follow).

Each of the characters are engaging and unique, and I have learned much about forgiveness, the value in obedience, and even the nature and implications of sex. I have never come across a character like Maria before - she is perfectly imperfect, frustrating and realistic, yet wonderfully considered. It was great fun to learn the rationality behind her irrationality, and to see how each of the other characters interacted with such a peculiar being. Now that the book is finished, I feel that I shall miss her very much.

[Juliette Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Dear Maria! is a wonderfully written satirical historical romance. Maria’s father forces her into a marriage with a man she despises, and she is sure to make everyone know how miserable she is. Her melodramatic moods and extreme antics are shocking and hilarious. I loved her from the start, and my affection for her only grew more and more with time. She is quick to forgive and ends up falling hard for her husband, who is bewildered and doesn’t match her level of enthusiasm. I became increasingly surprised as dark secrets began to unfurl. The story’s many twists and turns and tragic backstory kept me turning the pages. Additionally, it touches upon the many injustices women and Black people had to endure at the time. Other than Maria, Gilly, her kind, charming and flirtatious brother-in-law was my favorite character. This book made me really think and feel and had me constantly laughing out loud. I highly recommend it!

[Hayleigh Bakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Dear Maria is a guilty pleasure, though at the start of the book Maria was perhaps not my favourite character, she soon grew on me as the book continued and we began to learn more of her past. The letters between characters allow you to understand them even more and the asides from the narrator add to the drama. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all!!

[Jonathan Bricklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Ted has written a brilliant and beautiful novel. Her elegant and lyrical prose style and sprawling plot combine for a thrilling Victorian Era rollercoaster ride. Smart and overflowing with heart. Highly recommend.

[Martin Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to love about this book, a genuine five-star read from an independently published author putting out a first novel that all the big publishers should be fighting over. Abilgail Ted spins an hilarious tale at quite the narrative clip, this regency satire introducing a swathe of "flawed" (and then some) characters larking about at romance, marriage, suffrage, religion, philanthropy, mental health and violence, often of the domestic kind; and occasionally fainting just to get out of answering a tricky question or avoiding incoming brutality. Did I really say 'larking about' at domestic violence? Yes I did - there is plenty of dark undertone, often craftily understated, not flinching from the reality of powerful men and their predilections in an inequitable society, and raising defiant comedy against them without being anywhere trite or dismissive. My allegiances to various protagonists and antagonists were pulled from pillar to post through the shifting sands of this clever, clever book - not least the titular Maria, a titan of a character but not in the way you'd ever expect. I loved every minute.

[Susanna Kanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Dear, Maria! is a humorous Regency pastiche, following the footsteps of classic satire such as William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. As Amazon categorizes this book as humorous literary fiction and literary satire, I expected this book to be more laugh-out funny, but the themes addressed in this book are heavy. The content warnings include physical and sexual assault, slavery, racism, suicide, and mental health problems. These topics are handled with the gravitas they deserve, but that makes the book’s categorization as humorous a bit of a mismatch.

The main character Maria is simultaneously likable and infuriating character. As you get to know her backstory and childhood, her characterization makes more sense, but that happens quite late in the story. I would have loved to see more character development on Maria’s side, but as this is a first book in a trilogy, that hopefully happens in the later books. The other characters range from likable to despicable, but all are complex and well-rounded characters.

I found the beginning of the book difficult to get into. Not so much the writing style, although that will take a bit of getting used to if you’re not familiar with the 18th and 19th century writing conventions which this book imitates (although I’m not sure Regency era people would have said “no idea”, like one character in the book). My biggest problem in the first 10 % of the story were the constant time jumps and flashbacks, which made the timeline of events slightly confusing. Once Maria and Mr. Jackson got married, the story became more interesting and easier to follow.

This book is definitely not to everyone’s taste, but if you like 18th and 19th century satire, I would recommend this book.