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Martin Hunnicutt
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A Year Without Summer: A Variation on Pride and Prejudice Kindle Edition

by Martin Hunnicutt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 366 ratings
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This variation of Pride and Prejudice begins in the fall of 1815 with celebrations of Wellington’s victory at Waterloo. The Bennet family recognizes that the winter is very cold but nothing prepares them for the ‘year without a summer’ that follows. Frost and cool temperatures every month of the growing season reduce harvests of important grains, vegetables, and fruits. Their England is dependent upon locally grown foodstuffs and the people are unable to bring in food stuffs from other parts of the world–in fact other parts of the world would not have had surpluses of food to send. Horse and oxen-drawn wagons could only move produce so far in any single day.
With some good luck, Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet separate after the Ball at Netherfield on excellent terms. Through happenstance, the couple meet at Hunsford at Easter during the cold spring, fall in love and become engaged. However, as the families and tenants struggle to harvest diminished harvests of grains and hay, the Bennet and Darcy families struggle to remain hopeful. The poor harvests do not prevent the marriage of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam, and they travel from London to Pemberley for the lean winter that affects the inhabitants of manor houses and farmhouses.
In Hertfordshire, Charles Bingley must deal with Caroline and his aunt from Scarborough, and Jane must rally her family as they discover how much they miss Elizabeth’s humour and wit. But in spring 1817, the weather makes all of England a green and bountiful land once again, and Jane and Charles find their way toward the happily-ever-after they deserve.
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  1. Print length
    345 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 11, 2020
  5. File size
    2758 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08QG8NS4B
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 2nd edition (December 11, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 11, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2758 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B08QDXR1M5
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 366 ratings

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Martin Hunnicutt

Martin Hunnicutt

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
366 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

ThatsMrsBtoYou
5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate Read
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2022
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This is the second variation I have read with the "Year Without a Summer" theme and it brings a very interesting plot to the story. This book was also rather long, which I believe a Pride & Prejudice variation ought to be if it possibly can. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
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JKom
4.0 out of 5 stars A detailed look into how a community deals with hard economic times
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024
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The most insightful review of this P&P variant is Huffer's 3-star review dated March 25, 2021. I gave it a slightly higher rating as I felt the author did a good job of showing how a small rural community could pull together to make it through a very (historically accurate) hard economic period.

Admittedly, this was idealized - to have everyone agree on each step taken is unrealistic. Also, the situation was greatly helped by Darcy discovering additional stores of grain and dry hay - happy accident indeed!

The number of errata is really astonishing. This author usually has some errata, but this story had some truly egregious ones, such as the multiple times of misspelling of the de Bourgh's family name, only to correct itself a few chapters on, thereafter spelling it correctly. It was very sloppily edited, and really should be pulled and corrected.
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Huffer
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
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An enjoyable book, with an interesting premise based on a historical occurrence in the year 1815. Elizabeth is the first to notice a change in the intensity of colors accompanying sunrises and sunsets in the autumn of 1815. She correctly surmises that it foretells a change in the weather to come, but she has no way of knowing just how drastic these changes will be, and for how long. It's the start of a year long weather pattern that will profoundly affect every landowners' harvests, and thus their ability to feed their families and tenants.

The evolution of the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy is more easygoing in this version. There is the insult at the assembly, and Wickham's spreading of negative rumors about Darcy, as in the original P&P. However, Darcy does much at the Lucas Lodge party to redeem his character, and there's no great struggle with Darcy's conscience about linking himself with a socially inferior family. It seems that Bingley is the one, in this version, who goes through a lot of soul searching and difficulty in reaching his HEA. His struggles with Caroline play a large role in the story.

The Bennett family, also, is more easygoing, with slightly more responsible and attentive parents, and younger daughters who are a little more open to improvement. The behavior of many of the families is somewhat idealized, wherein they are agreeable to economizing and to taking many menial jobs in the face of difficulties on a farm. The Bennetts, the Lucases, the Darcys, and Bingley all submit themselves to doing chores that none of them would have normally stooped to doing. I don't know how realistic it is, but it's kind of endearing.

The book is about the inner strength of good people who band together in the face of trouble, make the decision to put aside their pampered lives for awhile, and do what it takes to survive a difficult spell. It's also about thoughtfulness, and caring for others as well as yourselves, and how that can positively affect onesself.

This author is a good writer, but one who's in dire need of a proofreader and editor. There are too many errors to count, and some of them quite blatant. Unfortunately, it distracts from the flow and enjoyment of the book. It's a good idea for a story, quite creative, and the romance is nice. I recommend it, but prepare for a lot of mistakes.
6 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023
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I loved this book from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Keep them coming
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Judy P.
4.0 out of 5 stars A true history of the time
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021
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A true history of the time featuring our beloved couple and their families. It was nice to read a decent Mr. Bennet even if his wife was still not a smart woman, but not a horrible mother.
It starts out with Elizabeth noticing the changes in the sunrise and sunset and thinking something was off. The story takes you through the small details of what it’s really like to live on an estate which encompasses the tenant farms and how to feed and survive a year without summer. Elizabeth and Darcy’s courtship happens over the seasons. Mr. Bingley is working through his challenging relations to become the responsible man Jane wants him to be and needs.
Although this is rather harsh look at real life we see the happy times along with the growth of all the characters, oh except Miss Bingley. Lol.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Favored Favorite
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2021
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I have read this story many times. I think what draws me back again and again is that many of the major characters are presented at their best.

Darcy and Mr. Bennet draw on their intelligence to withstand harsh times. Bingley stumbles badly, but proves himself over time to a Jane with enough self-respect to hold herself aloof until Bingley grows into manhood.

Problem characters are presented at their worst but do not manage to take over the story.
One person found this helpful
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Robert Francis
4.0 out of 5 stars A tired premise
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022
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The book was very long and I tired of the premise, wrapping everything around the weather and lack thereof. I understand the intent but it wasn’t that interesting.
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D. McMaster
5.0 out of 5 stars Appreciate the history
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2020
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A thoroughly good read. I especially enjoyed how Mr Hunnicut incorporated real history into the tale, highlighting how some may have handled the “year without a summer”. I also appreciated the character developments of Mr Bingley and relatives, as well as the Bennet family. All believably done while not strictly canon. One item of note: Francis is the spelling for a man’s name, not a woman’s.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Marie
3.0 out of 5 stars Rather Dull
Reviewed in Canada on December 17, 2020
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The “year without summer” is a theme that more than one author has taken on of late. I think this is the third variation I have read this year that addresses the subject. I found this one to be be more focused on that theme, rather than the love story in Pride and Prejudice. That story is there, but I found it all rather dull in the telling. The story seems more about the harvest, or lack thereof, during that difficult year.

What I enjoyed best was the assertive and “in charge” Darcy portrayal. The usual misunderstandings between ODC are absent, but that makes for an uninteresting story. Bingley blew it big time in this variation, but works hard to restore his reputation with his Hertfordshire neighbours.

Overall,it was much too long and wordy, with seemingly minute details of the every-day lives of a community dealing with a bad winter and harvest season. Lots of proofreading misses.
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marialucia Biancorosso
4.0 out of 5 stars Un anno senza estate
Reviewed in Italy on March 17, 2021
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Gradevole e semplice lettura, questa variazione racconta fatti che probabilmente ebbero luogo in quei tempi ed in quei territori. Si legge tutto d'un fiato e racconta, in modo plausibile avvenimenti e personaggi, che la stessa Austen avrebbe potuto narrare.
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Elizabeth Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book, very interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2021
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I really enjoyed this and found it the most interesting of all JAFF I've read so far. I will look for more work by this author.
One person found this helpful
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Mrs. Joan Ann Tilling
4.0 out of 5 stars Different view
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2021
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I thought this was really interesting . I was aware that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as something to do as the weather was so bad but hadn’t given much thought to British life at that time, the Shelleys were in Switzerland . Well worth a read.
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L. Stacey
3.0 out of 5 stars Something missing in this story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2021
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I have loved all the books by this author, and eagerly grabbed this one. I am afraid it was a bit of a let down. There are quite a few JAFF sequels built around this event, and this is definitely not the best in fact it is probably the worst I have read. What a shame. Still I will be eagerly and hopefully awaiting Mr Hunnicutt’s next appearance on Kindle
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