A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma

A Visit to Highbury is a retelling of Emma in the form of an exchange of letters between Mrs. Mary Goddard, head of the girls' school in Highbury, and her sister, Charlotte Pinkney, who lives in London with her new husband. Ms. Austen-Leigh creates a comfortable, intelligent, perceptive Mrs. Goddard, giving her sister the small-town gossip of the neighborhood and her school, along with good advice about building her relationship with Mr. Pinkney. The familiar events of Emma are reported, with Charlotte Pinkney and later Mr. Pinkney speculating on the possible meanings of the Highbury residents' actions. The Pinkneys live next door to a girls' school in London, one much less well run and conducive to the health of the boarders than Mrs. Goddard's excellent establishment; they befriend Charlotte Gordon, an orphan placed at the school by her great-aunt after the reported death of her father, Captain Gordon of the Royal Navy. The two subplots--the evolving Pinkney marriage and Charlotte Gordon's future--open the novel beyond the focus of Emma. The characters are well-drawn and individual, easy to care about. The epistilary format is a difficult one to handle, but Ms. Austen-Leigh does so as effectively as any I've ever read. There is little repetition. The language is true to the original, as is the tone. This is one of the best sequel/spin-offs from Jane Austen that I've encountered. I recommend it most highly.

This book is the story of Jane Austen's "Emma" through the eyes of Mrs. Goddard Mistress of the school. It is not a sequel or prequel. It is a retelling of the original story. In Jane Austen's Emma, Mrs. Goddard is a very minor character that has no lines at all. This lovely novel shows more about her, her life, and how the surrounding events of Highbury effect her and she effect them. The book is written by an exchange of letters from Mrs. Goddard and her sister whom she has not seen in 17 years! Mrs. Goddard and her sister, Mrs. Pinkney are as different as night and day yet share such a strong sisterly bond (as do a lot of other characters in Jane Austen's novels). Mrs. Pinkney has just remarried a man she was not in love with and is very bored, so she thrives on the gossip her sister tells her about Highbury. You would be surprised how much a mistress of a school can know! I enjoyed this book emensely and recommend it to anyone with a love of Highbury and the characters of Emma. I also would recommend the sequel to this book "Later Days at Highbury." No it doesn't contain a lot of the same characters as Emma but that is because the story broadens and new characters are added. Still equally delightful!

This is not a sequel to Emma, but an account of events during the same period according to Mrs. Goddard, the headmistress of the school where Harriet Smith has been brought up. The story consists of letters between Mrs. Goddard and her unhappily remarried sister. The story is mainly focused on the sister's life, with the events of Emma being recounted by Mrs. Goddard in her letters. This is, I think, wise. By choosing a background character, one who is of a lower class than Emma, and using the letter format, Austen-Leigh has avoided most problems with the reader's preconceptions. The story itself it quite entertaining. It is not the type of story that Jane Austen herself told, being about middle-aged, non-gentry, but it has a spirit and worldview that I imagine that she would share. The best part is - there's a sequel!

The book is absolutely delightful! The vivacity of Mrs. Pinkney is reminiscent of another Austenian character, namely Elizabeth Bennet. Without altering or modifying any part of the original novel, the author offered a parallel storyline along that of Austen's Emma. A true treat for any Austen fans. If one enjoys this book, one must also search out Jane Dawkins's "Letters from Pemberly: Continuation of Pride and Prejudice."

Joan Austen Leigh has written a refreshing spin-off of the classic novel, EMMA. This book was about how love can affect the young and the "mature" in completely different--or similar--ways. Mrs. Pinkney's tale of the trials of marriage was very captivating. The ending was very rewarding. All in all, "A Visit..." is very charming, and perfectly suited to be read with your Sunday afternoon tea.