LONGBOURN

Baker’s exceptional novel offers an original look at Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and Emma Fielding’s performance is quietly appealing. While the Bennets, the Bingleys, and the Darcys cavort upstairs in well-appointed drawing rooms, Baker opens up the world below stairs. Fielding turns characters into genuine individuals—from housemaids Sarah and Polly to housekeeper Mrs. Hill, the mysterious newly hired servant, James, and the Bingleys’ black footman, Ptolemy. Sarah is the heart of this tale of morning-to-night drudgery, chilblains, sweat, blood, and backaches. She laments, "If Elizabeth had the washing of her own petticoats‚ she'd most likely be a sight more careful with them." Fielding’s fine portrayals offer moments of hope and awakening for the characters and, for listeners, bittersweet awareness of Sarah’s life and the lives of her downstairs family. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]