...Pride and Prejudice is the bible by which I judge all romances. What could make for more fascinating reading than an epilogue of the life of Charlotte Lucas? Hers is one of the stories in Jane Austen's classic that does not resolve itself to anyone's satisfaction, for how could marriage to such a disgusting, embarrassing toady of a man bring a reader closure?

 

So it was with great expectations I began An Unlikely Missionary [and] made my way through a passage to India, trying to absorb the complexity and large amounts of characters and back-story. India then began to cast its spell over the cast, and the story became hypnotic for me as well.

 

One intriguing aspect was the authenticity of Charlotte's character. The author not only has a hauntingly familiar Austen-esque voice, but is painfully true to our plain, sensible heroine. Charlotte's devotion to the people around her, even her patience for her pathetic husband, is charming. As we see her fight feelings for another man we know she should admire, her commitment to always do the right thing earns her a grudging respect. The journey to India and back again is a direct parallel to Charlotte's internal struggles. . . I began to respect this woman and believe in her; more than that, I believed what I was reading and that says so very much about the talent of an author who extends a classic into another novel.

 

An Unlikely Missionary appears to be well researched. The beauty and savagery of the setting and time period are artfully intertwined into the plot so one does not drown in long purple passages.

 

. . . deep and thought-provoking. . . Austen fans will not be disappointed.