Goodreads says, "No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson. So when it’s revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life becomes complicated—and fast. For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy’s mother is holding on with an iron grip. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s been desperate to avoid: her father. Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming, and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice."
Senator Gregory Richardson, an influential person in the Georgetown community, died an untimely death leaving behind his wife and two daughters, Daisy and Wallis. As the Richardson family tries to pick up the pieces, they end up finding out more than they ever bargained for regarding their father and the secrets he kept. Since he is a senator, you know what this means. Scandal! Life as they know it is over for them. There's paparazzi following their every move, their father now has a bad reputation, and his father's crimes are now spilling over into Daisy's professional life. All of this makes it difficult to mourn their father and how can Daisy separate herself from her father's scandals, but also still remember him for the great father he was despite his shortcomings? Then Atlas, Daisy's best friend, comes to town from the UK. Things are complicated between Daisy and Atlas; yes, they are best friends, but Daisy has been secretly pining over him for years. Then there's Wallis, who wants to move on from this nightmare, but she finds herself in someone's arms who only complicates things even further. Yes, it's possible for things to be even worse! But when it all comes down to it, the women have each other despite what the men in their lives do to disappoint them. Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson is a delightful debut that brings Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility to a modern audience.
I really enjoyed Daisy right from the start of Ladies of the House. Her relationship with her mother as well as her sister was very well done. Readers can identify some of Austen's themes subtly poking through and Edmondson shows us that many of the problems in Austen's novels are still applicable to today. Daisy's relationship with Atlas was also complicated as he is a reporter that is writing an expose on her father. There's a lot of emotions surrounding this and it's complicated, especially when he uncovers even more secrets. Nonetheless, Daisy is a modern woman despite her conflicts and I appreciated her situation regarding balancing her family, her career, and her father's scandal.
The other characters in Ladies of the House were also enjoyable, especially Daisy's sister, Wallis. She is more carefree and she just wants to move past this fiasco. Instead of falling under the radar, she finds herself in a relationship with Blake Darley, a politician who she really shouldn't associate with due to her father's scandal. Of course the press has a field day with this.
Fans of Austen will appreciate Edmondson's ability to modernize Sense and Sensibility. It goes to show how timeless many themes and conflicts from Austen's novels truly are. Women today can still relate to family problems, issues with love, the ability to moving on, and ultimately finding out what makes a person happy. Even if you aren't a fan of Austen or seven someone who has read Sense and Sensibility, I think you can still enjoy this debut steeped in family drama, politics, some romance, and strong females relationships.
Do you enjoy Austen retellings? Is Ladies of the House on your TBR list? Have you read Austen's Sense and Sensibility? Let me know in the comments below.
This is interesting. I don't think I've read a modern interpretation of Sense & Sensibility. I've read the Jane Austen one and watched a few BBC series. It's not my favourite Austen novel, but I think it would be great to read a modern take of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this on my radar, Christina!
Edmondson did a great job modernizing it. I also really liked the Georgetown setting and the incorporation of politics. Thanks for visiting, Joy!
DeleteI'm really looking forward to this one; the story sounds great and the cover is just so pretty!
ReplyDeleteRight? The cover screams spring to me. It's so pretty. It was a great retelling. I hope you get to read it soon! Thanks for visiting, Angela!
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