Implacable Resentment

Destroyed hopes of a family, blasted dreams of a child

Rating: MA: Mature-audience: Angst Level: Jann Rowland will count it a success when readers are too angry to write their reviews. Such emotions evoked by the written word are a powerful force to deal with. I am seething, furious, boiling mad, and emotionally wrung out in my disgust with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Yeah, the words on the page provoked a mighty response within the breast of this reader.

For those who champion children, it will be hard reading the start of this story as we encounter a nine-year-old Elizabeth. Only this is not our dear girl from canon who was lively, witty, bright-eyed, intelligent, cherished, and beloved of her father. This Elizabeth was gaunt-eyed, ignorant, illiterate, emaciated, wearing shabby cast-off clothing, ignored [if she was lucky], abused beyond the pale, taunted by the youngest [favorite] Lydia, and all encouraged and allowed by the mother. Every waking moment was excruciating pain for our dear girl as she endured the neglect and abuse of her family. A family that encompassed an indolent father who escaped his misery into his book-room, and a high-strung mother who shrilled and railed against the unfairness of life. It would drive a sane person to bedlam.

Into the darkness beamed the light of Uncle Gardiner and his new bride Sarah. They were horrified by what they found in the house of Bennet and asked if they could take Elizabeth back to London with them and raise her as their own. Of course, Mrs. B demanded that her brother take a worthier daughter to London instead of… her. When he refused, the Bennet’s were only too glad to be rid of the albatross, the child Elizabeth, that was around their necks. How horrible.

There is a world of psychological studies, such as Maslow, regarding human motivation and achieving one’s full potential. We find this is all too true in the life of our nine-year-old Elizabeth. Since nothing thrives in a vacuum, we are privy to the only people at Longbourn who showed our dear girl kindness… Mrs. Hill and Jane. Once Elizabeth was sent to London, her life changed and as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs outlined, she was allowed to reach her full potential. Even in canon Elizabeth was stymied, in what she could achieve as her parents were too indolent to care. Not so with the Gardiners. They became the loving stable environment that Elizabeth needed in order to thrive. And thrive she did. Whatever she needed to succeed, masters of every form, languages, dance, music, art, etc., she had at her fingertips. The result was a more refined, cultured, graceful, articulate, educated, socially savvy, witty, and beautiful Elizabeth than portrayed even in canon.

Just when you think it is safe to go back into the water… Uncle Gardiner received an express, no, a summons, a command that Elizabeth return to Longbourn. So begins chapter after chapter of anguish, despair, grief, guilt, shame, betrayal, disgust, scheming, outrageous behavior, insults, abuse, horrible actions, and finally, truth revealed. In spite of all the above, we still have a HEA.

There were scenes that were hard to read, hard to understand, and still harder to forgive. I am so angry at the Bennet parents. We were not told initially what the devastating circumstance was that happened when Elizabeth was only two years old. We know that it was awful, changed the circumstances for the family, and that they blamed Elizabeth for it, leaving her racked with guilt over something she does not even remember. Early on Mr. Gardiner hinted that possibly an adult also had some responsibility or culpability in the matter. When we finally have the reveal… it was almost anticlimactic because we had wondered and anguished over it throughout the whole book. It felt like a dropped thread in the tapestry of our story.

Bingley was awesome and fell in love, as he should. Caroline was disgusting and continued to cut off her nose to spite her face. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst were themselves. Mary and Catherine [Kitty] were a surprise and I liked how they turned out. Everyone had an opportunity to change and whether they choose to take it, was left up to them. I loved these girls. I have no words regarding Lydia, as she deserves none.

Villains: Lady Catherine…OMG, she was even beyond her canon self. She reigned terror throughout every page on which she appeared. I was horrified at her actions…horrified. The commands she gave to Collins regarding Elizabeth were beyond respectful, beyond the pale. Our dear Colonel made an appearance at Kent and helped Darcy quell the onslaught of Lady C’s rants and tirade. His father, the Earl, had to be called in, as the head of the family, to offset Lady C’s authority. Mr. Collins… toad of a man that he was, even after all he had been through, still had the audacity to approach Mr. Gardiner and make his unreasonable demands. Such a scheming disgusting man. His outcome was appropriate. Wickham made a disgusting appearance. Colonel Forster was not best pleased with the behavior of one of his officers.

Darcy, wow… Yeah, throughout this work, he was the knight in shining armor, the master of all he surveyed, lover, friend, confidant, rock in the shifting sands, safe harbor, from the stormy tempest, and wielder of the sword of justice and truth. There are not enough words to describe him.

This book was no walk in the park. The reader had to be willing to walk through every emotion in order to reach the HEA. We were given an epilogue where we saw the results of all the hard work of our dear couple and their friends. It was good. Everyone received the end they deserved. [4.5-stars round 5-stars]

Note: actually a question: in other JAFF stories, the Archbishop was a relative of Darcy’s. In this story, he looked at Darcy and smiled, but it was never made clear whether he was a relation. I just wondered. It would have been cool if he had been and was then able to conduct the ceremony. There were editing problems: a sentence repeated, missing words, articles… minor things that were missed.