Happy Friday! I am a big Jane Austen fan, so when I saw that Joanne Bischof DeWitt had written a P&P re-telling I knew that I had to get it! Y’all, The Heart of Bennet Hollow is set in the Appalachian region of Virginia! And the Darcy character, William Drake, is a coal baron! I felt my roots calling! You see, my maternal grandfather was a coal miner in Virginia. Yes, my mother was a coal miner’s daughter. 😉 I am reading it now. Even if you haven’t read anything my Austen, you won’t want to miss this book!
Here’s the first line:
Lizbeth Bennet clutched the handle of the wicker basket with hope.
New River, Virginia. 1904. Lizbeth Bennet longs to preserve her family’s farm, securing a future for her and her sisters, a difficult task in their Appalachian coal mining town. Money is scarce, and Lizbeth is determined to find a way without giving up treasured pieces of her family’s legacy. But when the mine is put up for sale, it’s clear change is approaching. A contingent of coal barons descends on the town to investigate whether the mine is worth their investment, among them a young man rumored to be a very rich, eligible bachelor.
William Drake arrives focused on business and keeping his distance from the townspeople, especially those living on land entangled with the mine, including a farmer by the name of Bennet. As William digs through legal issues, his struggle to weigh the potential financial gain against what is right for the community grows more complicated when he meets one of the Bennet daughters.
Despite an awkward first meeting, Lizbeth and William continue to cross paths, and soon Lizbeth questions her first impression of the man she believed to be proud and indifferent. But just as their friendship begins to evolve, a revelation shakes Lizbeth’s tenuous trust, and she learns all may not be as it seems. To determine what is true, and step toward a love she’s barely dared dream of, Lizbeth must confront her own prejudices . . . and decide whether the future she’s always imagined is the one her heart truly wants most after all.
A Christy and Carol Award winner, Joanne Bischof DeWitt writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She lives in California with her new husband and their six children making her a big fan of conversations, laughter, and large dinner tables.
I like the first line.