Jane Austen Sequels: The Novels of Elizabeth Aston
Elizabeth Aston’s parents were keen Jane Austen fans who were united by the desire to name their daughter after a character from their beloved writer’s creations, but unable to agree on a particular character. Her mother liked Emma, whereas her father preferred Fanny. Finally, they settled on one of Austen’s most well known characters – Elizabeth Bennet, whom they both loved.
Given her name, it was hardly surprising that Aston read English at Oxford. There, she studied with renowned Austen biographer Lord David Cecil. The writer’s work resonated with Aston, who found her observations of the intellectual, cultural and social climate of the time extremely useful in developing her own writing sensibilities.
Like Austen’s works, the novels of Elizabeth Aston are the result of diligent research and acute observation of social issues, with references to historical and political events adding an extra dimension to the tale.
The influence of the 18th century author on Elizabeth Aston books is clear to readers and critics. The first of the Darcy Novels, Mr. Darcy’s Daughters, was published in 2003. Austen purists were surprised that they enjoyed it, while romance fans and critics found the plot fresh and exciting, and the tale well-told.
Early perception was that the Darcy tales were continuations of Pride and Prejudice. Aston has clarified that The Adventures and Exploits of Miss Alethea Darcy (2004), The True Darcy Spirit(2006), The Second Mrs. Darcy (2007), The Darcy Connection (2008) and Mr. Darcy’s Dream (2009) were variants of an Austen theme and can be read as standalone tales. The Way of The World (2003), which featured the Darcy family, was not a part of the Darcy series.
Writing Jane Austen is the most current of all the novels by Elizabeth Aston. It tells the story of critically-acclaimed, award winning writer Georgina Harrison, who, in a fit of financial desperation, accepts an assignment to complete an unfinished Austen manuscript – despite having never read even one of the author’s works. Published in 2010, the book has received praise for being a light, breezy read with genuinely laugh-out-loud moments.
Aston, who reads fiction and non-fiction from all genres, is a devoted fan of Patrick O’Brian, a historical novelist who, coincidentally (or perhaps not) cites Austen as the author he admires most. Born in Chile, Aston currently lives in Malta where the English winter is a distant memory, and enjoys periodic annual jaunts to Italy.
