About the Book
Title: Presumption and Partiality
Author: Rebekah Jones
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Release Date: November 27, 2017
Among the cotton fields and farmland of Gilbert, Arizona in the early years of the Great Depression, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey live a simple, but happy life with their five daughters on a cotton farm. When the wealthy Richard Buchanan moves to town, bringing his family, a friend, and a desire to learn about cotton, Matilda Bailey is convinced that he is the perfect candidate to marry her eldest daughter, Alice.
Richard is cheerful, friendly, and likable. His friend Sidney Dennison doesn’t make such a good impression. Eloise Bailey decides he’s arrogant and self-conceited, but when Raymond Wolfe comes to town, accusing Sidney of dishonorable and treacherous conduct, Eloise is angered at the injustice of the situation.
When the Buchanan household leaves town, Alice must turn to the Lord and face, perhaps, her most difficult test in trust, while Eloise takes a trip to visit her friend and may well discover a web of deceit that she doesn’t really want to believe exists.
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About the Author
Rebekah Jones is first and foremost a follower of the Living God. She started writing as a little girl, seeking to glorify her King with her books and stories. Her goal is to write Bible-Centered, Christian Literature; books rich with interesting characters, intricate story lines, and always with the Word of God at the center. Besides writing, she is an avid reader, songwriter, pianist, singer, artist, and history student. She also loves children. She lives with her family in the Southwestern desert.
Guest Post from Rebekah Jones
Why is he a Navajo?
I’ve had more than one person ask me why I chose to make Sidney Dennison, the “Mr. Darcy” of my novel Presumption and Partiality, a Navajo Indian.
When I commenced planning and research for placing a retelling of Pride and Prejudice in the 1930’s United States, I found myself drawn to the desert of Arizona rather early on. Specifically, the tiny farm town of Gilbert. I knew, however, that few rich people lived in that area; certainly not enough to create social rifts large enough to recreate the social differences of the original novel.
I experimented in my head with a few different ideas, but the idea of Sidney as a Native American came to me one day and just clicked. I knew that I couldn’t fully pull off a Navajo who lived on the reservations. As much as I researched, I couldn’t quite get the feel. Yet, a man whose ancestry included a white man as a grandfather, who lived outside the reservations, though with relatives who clung to some of the old traditions, I thought I could do.
I used to wish I were an Indian, in part because I wanted to have great tracking skills, live in a tee-pee, possess superb bow and arrow abilities, and I wanted to ride a horse. True, most of that did not enter a 1930’s novel, despite my Navajo cowboy, because the eras are different. Though, Sidney did get a horse. Or technically, several.
Further, something about the silent, good-looking Indian appealed to me, much as I tend to shy away from writing about handsome and beautiful people, since they feel so common in fiction. The minute I began imagining the man with his Navajo ancestry, he just felt perfect.
By the end, Sidney turned out to be one of my favorite characters. (I can’t ever pick just one in my novels.) I think I made a good choice and I hope my readers will agree!
My Impressions:
For fans of Jane Austen, particularly Pride And Prejudice, Presumption And Partiality will make a welcome addition to their libraries. This retelling of the beloved Austen classic follows closely to the original story, yet has its own unique twist. The setting is Depression-era Arizona and the Bailey family is the center of the story. As with the original, this novel has all the twists and turns and family meddling in the love lives of Alice (Jane) and Richard (Bingley) and Eloise (Elizabeth) and Sidney (Mr. Darcy). Jones presents her own fresh voice through the addition of historical details, the introduction of the Navajo-angle, and the tweaking of some of the characters. The Wolfe/Wickham character is despicable, but there is some reformation presented. Other secondary characters follow the Austen formula, but are not so over-the-top as in the original. Presumption And Partiality presents a strong faith message — the characters’ lives reflect a dedication to God through prayer, worship, and service to others. This element will appeal to inspirational fiction fans.
Overall, I liked Presumption And Partiality and look forward to reading other volumes in the Vintage Jane Austen collection.
Recommended.
Audience: older teens and adults.
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, April 24
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Reading Is My SuperPower, April 25
Seasons of Opportunities, April 25
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Remembrancy, April 26
Two Points of Interest, April 27
Views from the Window Friend, April 27
margaret kazmierczak, April 27
Bibliophile Reviews, April 28
Inklings and notions, April 28
History, Mystery & Faith, April 29
Mary Hake, April 29
proud to be an autism mom, April 30
A Greater Yes, April 30
Fiction Aficionado, April 30
Among the Reads, May 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 1
Janices book reviews, May 2
Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 2
Carpe Diem, May 3
A Baker’s Perspective, May 3
Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes, May 4
With a Joyful Noise, May 4
Have A Wonderful Day, May 4
Pause for Tales, May 5
Simple Harvest Reads, May 5 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Pursuing Stacie , May 6
Bigreadersite, May 6
Faery Tales Are Real, May 7
By The Book, May 7
Reader’s Cozy Corner, May 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Rebekah is giving away a grand prize of the complete set of the Vintage Jane Austen Collection!!
Click the link below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
https://promosimple.com/ps/cc8f
Presumption and Partiality sounds like an intriguing read. I love the idea of having it set in Arizona.
Thank you for your review and the information on “Presumption and Partiality” by Rebekah Jones as well as being part of the book tour.
I’d love the opportunity to read this book which I have on my TBR list.
2clowns at arkansas dot net