Sarah Courtney’s A Good Name, a modern Pride and Prejudice variation, was an unexpected treat from start to finish. The first half of the book details the childhood friendship of George Wickham and Lizzy Bennet. Told from George’s point of view, readers see the harsh life the young boy has endured. His mother has a drug problem and goes from boyfriend to boyfriend. He’s always hungry, and his worries about food and homelessness mean he has little time to worry about clean clothes, playing with other children, and learning to read. But when he meets Lizzy, his eyes are opened to the power of reading and friendship. When she moves away, she leaves a gaping hole, but her influence leads to new possibilities.
The second half of the book centers on Will Darcy, the new CEO of his father’s company, suffocating under the weight of his responsibilities and a bit fed up with his friend Charlie Bingley’s attempts at matchmaking. This part of the book follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice more closely — with the insult to Elizabeth Bennet, Caroline Bingley hoping to snap him up, his poor advice to Charlie regarding his relationship with Elizabeth’s sister Jane, and the eventual blowup with Elizabeth just when he thinks he’s found true love — albeit with a modern spin.
I don’t want to say more about the plot, but the way in which both parts of the book are woven together made A Good Name one of the best modern variations I’ve ever read. Courtney does a great job developing her versions of Austen’s characters, layer by layer, so that readers really understand their motivations, strengths, and fears. I loved the twists and turns, and with the freedom of a modern variation, there were plenty of surprises on the way to Will and Elizabeth’s happily ever after. Courtney’s take on George Wickham was so clever, both heart-wrenching and hopeful, and so completely unexpected. She does a fantastic job with the heavy issues of drug addiction, poverty, and homelessness and their impact on children, balancing them with the lighthearted moments that George shared with Lizzy in the park and, later, Will’s outings with Elizabeth — particularly the scene involving an overturned kayak.
Ultimately, A Good Name is a powerful story, one that makes you think about how we cope with the obstacles thrown at us and how our past shapes our future. But it also is a love story, and an emotional and touching one at that. I can’t wait to read Courtney’s next novel, Beauty and Mr. Darcy, a Regency variation, and I do hope that she writes another modern variation in the future.
I loved this book from the opening lines. Thanks for reviewing it here, Anna!
LikeLike
Lovely review, Anna. I have added it to my list!
LikeLike
Oh, Anna, what a beautiful review. I worked at the high school level and saw this very situation many times. I’ve seen the successes and I’ve seen the failures. When drugs consume a family, it is the children that are hurt the most. I want to read this but it may take me a while to gird up my courage.
LikeLike
What a great review! I have this book on my list and this makes me more eager to read it. It’s totally different with Elizabeth being friends with Wickham as children.
Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
I read and enjoyed this book. As a caseworker with Children, Youth and Families I was familiar with many such children. And then even with grandparents who adopted their grandchildren because the parents/their own children just couldn’t get it together…be it drugs or alcohol.
LikeLike
This sounds like a very engaging book. Terrific review, Anna!
LikeLike
Thanks for a lovely review.
LikeLike
This sounds intriguing! I’d probably like this one.
LikeLike
[…] tomorrow, January 31. I absolutely adored Sarah’s modern Pride and Prejudice variation, A Good Name, so I couldn’t wait to dive in and read Beauty and Mr. Darcy. (Stay tuned for my review; […]
LikeLike
[…] loved Courtney’s previous novel, the modern variation A Good Name, I had high expectations for Beauty and Mr. Darcy, and I wasn’t disappointed. I am anxiously […]
LikeLike