GUEST POST & EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT - FASCINATION & FALSEHOODS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING DARCY

 

Today we are delighted to welcome author Jayne Bamber to My Jane Austen Book Club as she celebrates the release of her newest Austen variation, Fascination & Falsehoods: The Importance of Being Darcy.

For readers who enjoy imaginative reimaginings of Pride and Prejudice, this novel offers a fascinating premise. In this story, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are orphaned at a young age and raised by none other than Lady Catherine de Bourgh, while Fitzwilliam Darcy grows up under circumstances far removed from those we know in Austen's original novel. The result is a fresh take on beloved characters, family relationships, and the paths that ultimately lead to love.

What makes this variation especially intriguing is its homage not only to Jane Austen but also to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. With witty dialogue, unexpected twists and familiar characters placed in entirely new circumstances, the story promises to delight readers who appreciate both Austen's timeless romance and Wilde's sparkling humour.

Today, the author is sharing an exclusive excerpt that introduces us to a young Elizabeth Bennet preparing for her first London season—and reveals the beginnings of her rather charming fascination with the name "Darcy."

We hope you enjoy this sneak peek into Fascination & Falsehoods: The Importance of Being Darcy. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think of this inventive new twist on a beloved classic!

Maria Grazia 💕

AN UNCANNY ALIGNMENT OF HEARTS: A Q&A WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JUNE HUR

 

Dear Janeites and book lovers,

sometimes, the universe has a beautiful way of bringing things full circle. If you have followed my online writing journey, you might know that alongside My Jane Austen Book Club (which I have been writing since 2010), I also ran a parallel blog called FLY HIGH! (started in 2009). Way back in March 2010, I featured a young, aspiring writer in a "Blogger Buddies" segment on FLY HIGH!. She used to email me about her passionate dream of one day becoming a published author. That writer was June Hur.

Sixteen years later, June is a New York Times bestselling author, and while I now focus most of my energy right here on My Jane Austen Book Club and our wonderful Facebook community, I still occasionally pop over to FLY HIGH! to share my latest obsessions. If you've read those rare, recent posts, you know that since the pandemic, I have fallen completely in love with Korean literature, K-dramas, and all things Hallyu (the Korean Wave). You can imagine my absolute thrill when the social media algorithms brought June and me back together, revealing that her newest novel, Behind Five Willows, is a romantic homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set right in the heart of the Joseon Dynasty!

Set in 1792 during a strict, real-life historical government book ban, Behind Five Willows follows Shin Haewon (our fierce, Elizabeth Bennet-inspired heroine), a poor second daughter moonlighting as an illegal book transcriber under the pen name "Magpie." Enter Yu Seojun (our brilliant, uptight Mr. Darcy), a wealthy nobleman who secretly rebels against his status by writing forbidden fiction under the name "Black Lotus." Forced together as chaperones for their friends, they clash spectacularly in person, entirely unaware that they are already deeply connected through anonymous, secret letters.

Today, June joins us at My Jane Austen Book Club to chat about yearning, censorship, historical parallels, and what it’s like to bring Darcy and Elizabeth to 18th-century Korea.  

Maria Grazia 💕