Yes, yes indeed, this is Kitty Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, need I say more!
Dust off your dance cards and practice your repartee, as the Bennet sisters are back. Kitty Bennet is lonely, with three of her sisters married, she begins to consider her previous antics. Spending time with both Jane and Lizzy, Kitty’s eyes open to new possibilities. I adore anything that lengthens my forays into Jane Austen’s world and I immediately felt at home. I could see, hear, almost reach out and touch the much-loved characters as they walked in my mind. This is such a gentle, loving, and beautifully readable novel, you don’t actually need to have read Pride and Prejudice to step into the pages. Carrie Kablean perhaps sees certain well-loved characters with a slightly different eye to my own, which was fascinating as I felt myself evaluating my own impressions and thoughts. What Kitty Did Next is a delightful, thoroughly enjoyable read, and I fairly skipped through from beginning to end.
England, 1813. Kitty Bennet lives in the shadow of her two eldest sisters, both of whom have made brilliant marriages. No one expects Kitty to amount to anything. Left at home in rural Hertfordshire with a querulous mother and a father who derides her as silly and ignorant , Kitty is lonely and desperate to escape. When her world unexpectedly expands to London and then to her sister Elizabeth's magnificent estate in Derbyshire, Kitty is overjoyed. Keen to impress this new society, she resolves to improve her mind and manners. She makes new friends, chief among them Georgiana Darcy, and attracts the attention of more than one eligible gentleman. All augurs well, until one fateful night at Pemberley a series of events conspires to ruin Kitty's reputation and she is sent home in disgrace, her hopes and dreams dashed. But Kitty has learnt from her experiences and what she does next will surprise everyone. Beautifully written in a style that absolutely evokes Jane Austen's spirit and time, Kitty's journey will resonate with anyone who has had to overcome obstacles and find their own way in the world.
ISBN: | 9781910453612 |
Publication date: | 28th June 2018 |
Author: | Carrie Kablean |
Publisher: | RedDoor Publishing Ltd |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 416 pages |
Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
Other Genres: | |
Recommendations: |
Closing date: 30/05/2022
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion some of our Reader Review Panel were also lucky enough to read and review this title.
A lovely delightful read and a must for all Jane Austen fans.
This is a beautiful classic read and is a definite must-read for Jane Austen fans!
I read it and I was delighted with What Kitty Did Next from the beginning to end and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Written in a romantic classical style this book is a definite delight for readers who enjoy a smooth, flowing non-complicated story.
A historical novel set in Georgian England, What Kitty Did Next tells the story of a young girl living in her sisters’ shadows and wishing that she too could live her life as she wishes. Her chance comes via a trip to London and Kitty gradually settles in nicely into Georgian society and enjoys every minute of it. However, her happiness does not last long when things in her life start to change and Kitty must decide which course of action to take in the hope of replenishing all that she has lost.
She finds strength and eventually manages to get back control of her life but not without having to make unexpected changes, some of which she is unsure of, but having confidence in herself, Kitty eventually copes with all the demands made on her and her future life looks more secure.
A few twists and surprises along the way, but What Kitty Did Next is a lovely read.
Perfect for all Jane Austen fans. Kitty is given the prominence she deserves in her own story and shines.
As a Jane Austen fan, I loved this novel. True to the spirit of Austen without quite such a deft touch at poking fun at her own characters but nevertheless less a light touch at gentle humour. In this novel, we follow Miss Catherine Bennett, 'Kitty' of the title after the advantageous marriages of the two elder Bennett sisters and the unfortunate alliance of Lydia with Mr. Wickham.
Kitty, still regarded as rather silly by her father is left bored at home with her mother's sole purpose in life to find her a husband. When Kitty gets a chance to go out into the world, first to London and then to the magnificent Pemberley she seizes the chance to impress to improve her mind and manners. She becomes better read, to hold up her side of a conversation and takes music lessons. She also takes the eye of several young gentlemen both suitable and not. Just when it seems that she has impressed everyone not least Elizabeth there is a terrible misunderstanding and poor Kitty gets sent home in disgrace.
However, she has learned valuable lessons that stand her in good stead in this new situation and Kitty surprises everyone not least herself. She stays strong and all is resolved. In this Story Kitty is rounded out as the central character and is given the prominence she deserves rather than playing second fiddle to her other sisters.