The manners, gossip, elegance, and fashions of the Regency era — the period in the United Kingdom between when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and up to Queen Victoria sitting on the throne — still fascinate readers today, particularly the constant re-readers of Jane Austen’s novels. Janeites and Regency-romance fans will find much joy in Melanie Kerr’s new book Mary Green, as it feels lifted from the pages of that historical period.
This book is one of the five first titles from a new publishing house in Edmonton, Stonehouse Publishing, which launched in May and focuses on literary historical fiction. Part-time lawyer, writer, mother, and self-described reckless lover of clotted cream, Kerr plans Regency events in Edmonton and even sews her own costumes to immerse herself in the world of Austen. Her faithful experiences with the era shine through in her writing. Her first book, Follies Past, was a prequel to Pride and Prejudice, which resulted from a five-year linguistics research project to recreate the voice o Jane Austen.
In the tradition of the celebrated English novelist, Mary Green follows an orphan with an obscure history who is a ward of the wealthy Hargreaves family. The Hargreaves treat Mary poorly, judge her for her poor stature, and never fully accept her as a family member. When she receives access to her previously unknown inheritance on her twenty-first birthday, Mary quickly uproots her life and moves to London. However, the draw to understand the origin of her fortune and her fear of losing her humility and grace cause Mary to confront her past and ask, Who am I?
