There is that moment nearing the end of the novel Mansfield Park when Jane Austen steps away for a smidge of speculation before marching on to the end. What did she speculate? She asked her own 'what-if' and tantalizes readers with the possibility of the path not taken. In point of act, she asks what-if Henry Crawford had followed his intention of going on from London to Everingham to work on his estate matter? Fanny, A Mansfield Park Story is the result of the author exploring that very what-if and I was happy to see how it resulted.
Beginning at that point in the original Mansfield Park, Fanny begins with Fanny Price being taken back to Mansfield by her cousin Edmund to companion her aunt after Tom, the eldest is brought home gravely ill from poor living and a riding accident. Fanny, the quiet helper and observer watches her aunt and uncle fear the worst along with her cousin Edmund worn down by care while Tom's sisters are away at their pleasures in London and Mary Crawford writes with eager speculation what life at Mansfield will be like when Tom passes and Edmund slides into the role of heir. Secretly in love with Edmund, Fanny can only ache in her heart to see Edmund in love more than ever to Mary Crawford and despise everyone's speculation that she will eventually accept to audacious flirt, Henry Crawford's proposal.
Over the course of many months, Fanny's life is upheaved and to her great surprise, it is Henry Crawford who makes sure of her comfort and cares to notice her even while his own character seems to have altered completely even when he is tempted by Maria's seductive wiles and Julia's efforts to secure him. Fanny doesn't trust his seeming changes even as she is appreciative of his kind friendship. In the end, a series of events lead her to the truth of the matter about so many things.
Fanny, A Mansfield Park story was carefully crafted to give due homage to the original. The description, dialogue, ongoing plot, and characters themselves were barely altered. The author showed a what-if that varied greatly from the original in the end, but only because she altered a few pivotal circumstances. People were as they ever were including Fanny Price.
Fanny is a heroine that I have always quietly admired. She is young, relatively friendless, penniless and yet she is willing to stand on the principles she has. At the same time, she is young and unworldly with a naive certainty in her own perceptions which is at the heart of this book. Her stolid certainty did her well when it came to rejecting a flirt and understanding the selfish schemes of those around her, but it stops short when she is faced with the fact that people are not always the same or maybe they are and she is not always accurate in what she sees. She can't abide Henry Crawford because he was a flirt, but she can't seem to get past that even in the face of evidence that he has changed. But, that is not Henry's only hill to climb because he also must wait as Fanny first must discover that Edmund is not as she painted him (godlike) and she must fall out of love because she can ever be susceptible to falling in love with someone else.
I adore Fanny, but I confess to the urge to thunk her for her thick-headedness. But, I also discovered that a redeemed Henry Crawford can be an amazing, shining hero who doesn't try to cover his tarnished past and it was also pretty sensational to see Fanny finally arrive as an older, wiser, and more understanding soul who is worthy of not just settling.
All in all, this was a lovely, slowly paced out story of growth, change, and ongoing story for the Mansfield Park characters that did justice to the original. Definitely worth the read.
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Reviews with images
Beautiful Love Story
This book is AMMMMAZZZING!! As a Jane Austen fan, this definitely ticked ALL the boxes for me!! I don’t want to ruin the story, JUST READ IT!!!
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Top reviews from other countries
ZS
Love the style and it's characters, but Henry is portraited almost as too perfect than to feel real.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2023Ines
Love it so much! I can only highly recommend to read this story
Reviewed in Germany on December 4, 2023Lauren Herbert
Satisfying twist to Mansfield Park
Reviewed in Australia on February 3, 2021