Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil's return. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern retelling of Jane Austen's most romantic novel.


Paperback, 240 pages Expected publication: February 14th 2012 by Cedar Fort, Inc.


Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison is based on Jane Austen's classic novel Persuasion and set in a modern-day Latter-day saint setting.  If you are like me and you have never read Jane Austen, don't be scared away, Jamison's modern retelling is current and you will have no trouble being drawn into Anne and her dilemma.

My favorite thing about Jamison's story is Anne's voice.  She is down to earth, a bit self-conscious and I found it a joy to read about the novel's happenings through Anne's eyes. Her personality and self-doubt make the fact that she thinks Neil could never love her again believable.

The first few chapters of Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale put me off a bit.  The opening scene did not interest me at all, had too much back story and after reading the book, it's my opinion that the first scene does not give a good representation of the rest of the story. I would have cut the first few chapters and sped up the action a bit.

Before each chapter is a journal written flashback.  I found them distracting and I'm not certain that they pushed the story forward or provided any benefit.  In fact, a few times I regretted having to slow down long enough to switch gears before seeing what happened in the current timeline.


The interactions between Anne and her family are fun and endearing.  One of her sisters is always trying to get Anne to take her kids and the other is a total ditz who just generally needs help.  Anne's parents aren't much better--divorced and flighty at best.  Anne is loyal to her family and this helps the reader understand why she could be holding on to the relationship she had with Neil.

After reading the story, I read about the plot of Jane Austen's Persuasion on Wikipedia. It was interesting to see the parallels and I am certain that fans of Jane Austen will enjoy the references that I, in my ignorance, missed. I did wonder, though, why Jamison used some exact names from the original story and other names were completely unrelated in her retelling.

I enjoyed the many interactions that bring Anne closer to Neil.  He is a worthy suitor for Anne who is transposed into a modern society where suitors are not always so, as evidenced by other characters in the book. Neil is kind, loyal, protective, capable and gentle--qualities any woman would look for in a man.

Whether you've read Austen's novels or no, be prepared to be swept away by Jamison's retelling of Persuasion.




Saturday Feb 18--Book Launch Party and Signing at Taylorsville Seagull Book 11-1 ( 5720 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville)

LDStorymakers Writers Conference

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. 
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. 


Hardcover, 366 pages Published November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile


Food to Eat While Reading: Trapped in a Bubble Bobo Drink

Fruity Bobo drink for Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie is my kinda book--YA romance, strong female protagonist, smooth writing and packed with emotion. It asks the question, "Can there be freedom without choices?" I hope we can all wonder, as Cassia in the book, and continue to ask questions that lead to choices.

Condie's writing is superb overall, but there were a few scenes that blew me away:

When Cassia is on a train and what she thinks is snow floats to the ground. It's really a cottonwood tree fluff and it is a perfect mirror of what is happening in the story. It shows the fear her people have of anything that is different, it introduces her mother's love of trees and foreshadows future events, and it asks the question, "Can something wrong be true?". This scene shows that Cassia is not bothered by the truth that may be seen by others as wrong, it shows how society is tearing down everything that is impractical in their world. Cassia says there is a mystery in it's little brown core that she doesn't know what to do with and she puts it in her pocket-a symbol of how she will wait until she knows what to do to unlock the truth.

In this one scene, Condie seamlessly provides information about the society, Cassia's role in it, background information and set up for future scenes. Beautiful!

The second scene that gave me cause for reflection is the scene when it is her grandfather's time to die. At first I was temped to say that his is the perfect way to die--surrounded by family, eating whatever you like, getting to say goodbye before you have to leave this life.  But then I understood that Grandpa was forced to comply, and he wished that he had more years to plant that cottonwood seed of an idea and wonder, to always question his ideas and find out for himself the meaning of life and death and what is in between.

The other poignant scene for me happened when the society is at Cassia's house to take away all artifacts. She sits on the couch with her brother. Quote: "We have things of value but you can never find them because you don't even know how to look."

The romance was pleasant. I'm not sure that I agree with Cassia's choice of love, but the point of the book is for her to have the right to choose. I'll be excited to see what happens in books two (Crossed, available now), and three(Fall 2012) with both love interests.

I love the involvement of Cassia's family in her life, which is not often included in YA. Her relationships with her family were key to her decisions and she loves her family so much.

Matched is a romance with themes so deep that your mind and heart will ponder for weeks after you read the last page.