Jane Austen Sequels- Eliza’s Daughter: A Sequel to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, by Joan Aiken
In 1994, at the age of seventy, Joan Aiken published a Regency Jane Austen sequel titled Eliza’s Daughter, written as a follow up to Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. This was one of Aiken’s several Austen based works.
Aiken was an English author who wrote many novels, short stories, and children’s books. Eliza’s Daughter was her third of five Austen-based novels. When asked if her works were based on presumption of Austen’s ideas, Aiken answered “No, love and admiration.”
The main character and heroine of the story, Liz, is an independent and curious soul. Although her circumstances are not always the best, she enjoys life and rolls with the punches. She is an eager learner, spending time with the famous poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. Liz is an impetuous tomboy, who travels from meager beginnings in the town of Byblow Bottom to a manor house, where she is a companion to a frail child, of Miss Hazlitt’s school. Classic original characters from Sense and Sensability make an appearance in Eliza’s Daughter. The passionate Marianne Dashwood, gossip Margaret Dashwood, and the regal Elinor Dashwood all are mentioned in the novel. Liz spends time with the original characters as she grows and matures into adulthood and beyond. Throughout the novel, the reader will glean that Liz is a strong and determined girl who is working hard to transform her life, regardless having access to limited options to accomplish her goals.
This book is an enjoyable read, not only for Jane’s original fans, but for new readers who find themselves drawn to period novels. Aiken’s distinct writing style is a fan favorite that is very present in the novel. Publisher’s Weekly once said of her work, “Others may try, but no one comes close to Aiken in writing sequels to Jane Austen.” No small praise indeed.
Aiken’s Regency Jane Austen sequel to Sense and Sensibility is clearly a cut above most published Jane Austen sequels. She writes with a unique and imaginative style and has creates a novel that will be enjoyed by those who love both Austen and Aiken’s works alike.
Joan Aiken is the author of five Jane Austen sequels, continuations and adaptations. Her Jane Austen related works include: The Watsons and Emma Watson: Jane Austen’s Unfinished Novel Completed by Joan Aiken, Jane Fairfax: The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen’s Emma, Eliza’s Daughter: A Sequel to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park Revisited: A Jane Austen Entertainment, Lady Catherine’s Necklace: A Jane Austen Entertainment, in addition to her numerous other published novels. You can learn more about her impressive literary accomplishments on her website joanaiken.com.
