The Heiress by Molly Greeley

A new spin on characters from Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with an emphasis on feminism and forbidden female relationships. Anne de Bourgh is born to luxury and will inherit a sizable estate when she comes of age. She is considered a good catch except that her ill health as an infant and the family doctor's insistence on a daily dose of laudanum has rendered Anne weak, wimpy and out of her head most of the time. Her life and the book really don't have any steam until Anne travels to London and her cousin's doctor weans her off the drug ending her addiction. She is introduced to society activities and intellectual pursuits she should have been partaking in for years and most importantly , finds a friend and confidant in Eliza who opens her mind and heart. This is the second novel this year where I have read about the scandalous book of women's rights by Mary Wollstonecraft. Anne learns much about what she wants out of life and love. This is a blend of classic writing with a more modern take on women being suppressed in British society. Readers of Jane Austen as well as the newer revisions of her stories will enjoy this addition.  4 stars