Frederick sat for hours on the hillside, looking out over the land — but he saw none of it. His mind replayed the moments he had spent with Anne. Images of her, from her entrance into the village shop to the crumpled form he left lying on the bank of the lake, filled his brain. His words — her gestures — the dream he held of their life together — everything he had ever wanted — he could not have asked for more. Except — he wanted more — he wanted their time together to never end.
(from Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, pages 33-34)
When I read Persuasion last year, it immediately became my favorite Jane Austen novel, and of course, it was impossible not to fall in love with Captain Wentworth. Austen’s novel of reversed fortunes and second chances is told from the point of view of Anne Elliot, who is persuaded to break her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a man with no connections, title, or fortune. Eight years later, Anne’s family is having financial troubles, Frederick comes back a rich man from his time at sea, and they get swept up in the same social circle when Frederick’s sister and brother-in-law rent Anne’s family home. It seems to Anne that Frederick could never forgive her, especially when he shows interest in Louisa Musgrove, the sister of Anne’s brother-in-law.
What’s missing from Austen’s novel is Frederick and Anne’s early relationship, and Frederick’s thoughts on all that transpires. Regina Jeffers tells Frederick’s side of the story in Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, a novel I savored because there are so few re-tellings of Persuasion. Jeffers opens the novel with Frederick and Anne together on his ship, and after a skirmish that leaves Frederick wounded, the story of their relationship from their first meeting through the events that transpire in Austen’s original work is told through flashbacks. Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion also shows Frederick and Anne after the end of Austen’s novel, giving us a glimpse of their life together.
Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion was enjoyable because it let me spend more time with my favorite characters. Jeffers stays true to the events of Persuasion in Frederick’s flashbacks but adds a new dimension to the story by imagining it from Frederick’s point of view. His deep devotion to Anne and his hurt at their broken engagement explains his behavior toward Anne when they meet again. Although Jeffers doesn’t match Austen’s wit and humor, there are some amusing moments, and of course, more romance than in the original. I liked that Jeffers didn’t just retell Persuasion but wrote about Frederick and Anne before and after, and I loved reading about Frederick’s military adventures, how he worked hard to make a name for himself, his devotion to his crew, and his inability to let go of the woman he loved despite the people and the years that came between them. If you’re like me and love the characters and stories created by Austen, as well as all the various takes on her novels, you’ll want to give Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion a try.
Disclosure: Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion is from my personal library.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I’m glad to see you enjoyed this one!
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Thanks! I expected to, given my love for Persuasion. I didn’t get too analytical, just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
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I’m with you, Persuasion is my favorite Austen so I’m adding this to my buy list. Great review!
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Thanks! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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omg, I adore Wentworth with my whole body — have you read the Susan Kaye novels? SO effing good! I have to get this one — totally new to me — so thank you for the review!
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Me, too! I don’t know how anyone could read Persuasion and not fall in love with him!
My husband bought me the Susan Kaye books, so I’ll be reading them hopefully soon.
After I posted the review, I learned that this book was originally published as “Wayward Love.” Just wanted to mention that so people don’t buy the book twice.
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I want this one 😀 I love love Persuasion and it would be so fun to see a re-telling of that book
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I definitely think you’d love this book!
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I truly need to get Persuasion read so that I can then read this one!
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Definitely! Hope you love Persuasion as much as I do.
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Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel too. Thanks for this review.
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My pleasure! Thanks for stopping by!
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We are reading Persuasion for my bookclub in a couple of months so maybe I should suggest this as a fun complementary book!
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Definitely! Looking forward to your thoughts on Persuasion.
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This sounds like a fun book! I like books that don’t just retell a story, but do more exploring with it, and it sounds like this one does that well.
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It was a fun book, made even better by the fact that I absolutely adore Persuasion.
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Persuasion is a favorite of mine, I love Wentworth. This one sounds good 🙂
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Who doesn’t love Wentworth? LOL
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I think this would be a great retelling since the story of Persuasion gives you so little about how Wentworth improved his position in the military and came back a rich man and leaves it all to the imagination about his relationship with Anne before the breakup.
The only thing that bothers me is that dude on the cover…he is not how I would picture Wentworth at all…he’s just an ugly rendition! 🙂
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You’re right about the cover. I tried not to look at it so I wouldn’t picture him while reading it.
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I love Persuasion and this opportunity to see it from Frederick’s point of view sounds wonderful!
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That’s what I really loved about this book and about Amanda Grange’s Captain Wentworth’s Diary. I really wanted to know what Wentworth was thinking when he came back and saw Anne after all those years.
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another Persuasion fan!
i took the austen quiz and came up Anne “)
obviously connected “)
thx for this review – has me intrigued!
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I took the Austen quiz and ended up being Elinor. LOL
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As a lover of Persuasion I am sure I would like this one too. Have you read Captain Wentworth’s Diary by Amanda Grange?
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Yes, and I loved it, too! 🙂 Hope you get a chance to read this one.
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[…] 3. Mr. Darcy’s Secret by Jane Odiwe 4. The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan 5. Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion by Regina Jeffers 6. Only Mr. Darcy Will Do by Kara Louise 7. What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail […]
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[…] Diary of an Eccentric today. Regina is the author of several Jane Austen-inspired novels, including Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, Christmas at Pemberley, and her latest release, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, which I will […]
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[…] recognized Jeffers’ writing talent when I read (and loved) Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, and with The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, she has become one of my favorite authors of […]
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[…] I wanted to read it: I’ve long been a fan of Jeffers’ novels (check out my reviews of Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, Christmas at Pemberley, and The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy), and I was intrigued by the idea […]
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