Six Weeks by the Sea
[Byrne's] treasure chest of Austen knowledge and her ability to spiritually inhabit historical figures are displayed to fine advantage ... Both her closeted gay character and her biracial one have historical roots that are explained in the afterword, and both thicken the plot in interesting ways.
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Tender ... It is a delicious set-up and one that Byrne, the author of The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things, brings deft expertise to ...
A secondary sub-plot about a trial of William Blake feels less clear. Nobody wants a fleeting love story to get bogged down in historical context, but a little more here — and on the abolitionists — would have been welcome. For the most part, Byrne rises admirably to the challenge of mimicking Austen’s style and waspish speech. Particularly apt is her depiction of the pompous, prolix Reverend John Swete, although just occasionally Byrne is too verbose herself ... This slender, bittersweet novel is fan fiction, but of a superior kind, a Regency-set novel open to contemporary sensibilities. Byrne is thoroughly versed in Austen: fans will warm to her interpretation of her sparky protagonist ... Charming.
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Offering deeper insights into relationships...Six Weeks by the Sea is an appropriately Austenesque novel of manners. Addressing serious social issues as seen through period-appropriate perspectives may provide modern readers new understanding of Jane Austen and her world.
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