You Pierce My Soul

Captain Wentworth's Diary - by, Amanda Grange

This is the classic story of Jane Austen's Persuasion but follows Captain Wentworth's point of view. It begins when he first met Anne before returning to the Navy. Amanda Grange's writing is easy to follow and has an easy flow to it. It's a good way to revisit Austen's novel without actually rereading it. Wentworth's famous letter to Anne was done beautifully and gives an interesting interpretation of the way in which things happened.

I adore retellings of classics as long as they are done well and do not try to be better than the actual classic. Grange does that. She writes well and stays true to who Austen designed the characters to be, but does add her own twists. She introduces us to Wentworth's brother, Edward, who was only mentioned in Austen's original work. It is also a real treat to get a chance to imagine what transpired between Anne and Captain Wentworth upon their initial meeting, during his proposal, and finally during the rejection. Grange also finally gave a real insight into Captain Wentworth's feelings about Anne, her family, Louisa Musgrove, and his friends.

Overall, I enjoyed this. And while the scene regarding his letter was done beautifully, it lacked the ability to conjure tears as Austen was able to do. This was my second book by Grange, and I did enjoy it. I'll read more of her work. I also read this as part of my 999 Challenge, under "Other Historical Fiction."

Happy reading!