The Dashwood Sisters Tell All: Book Review

Rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★

The Dashwood Sisters Tell All is Austenesque author Beth Pattillo's third novel which I was a little apprehensive to read as I don't quite enjoy the previous novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart but I love the original concept of her Austenesque debut novel, Jane Austen Ruined My Life. Buoyed by positive reviews at Austenprose and Austenesque Reviews, I decided to venture into Ms Pattillo's novel. Similar to the earlier two works, this story is set in England featuring American women as the heroines.

Two estranged sisters embark on a walking tour to follow the footsteps of Jane Austen's Hampshire located in England in order to fulfill their mother's dying wish. The Dodge sisters have not always been close as both have very different personalities and are geographically separated by three states. Ellen, the elder sister in her late thirties, is rational and sensible, while Mimi is the romantic and emotional type. Their mother, Caroline Dodge (née Dudley) who originally hails from England, is a devoted Janeite and has always taught her girls to appreciate Jane Austen's works. She practically named her daughters after the two protagonists in Sense and Sensibility. In fact, both sisters even share the same character traits as their namesakes, Elinor and Marianne. Foreseeing her death, Caroline sent them on this tour in the hopes that they would discover Jane Austen's greatness and try to heal their sisterly rift. As part of her will, the sisters will have to decide where to scatter their mother's ashes and take the appropriate action concerning the family heirloom that is bequeathed to them.

Once in England, both discover that the heirloom is Cassandra Austen's diary and react differently to the situation. Practical Ellen wants to read the contents of the diary to find out whether it is genuine and authentic and if it does, then donate this precious finding to a museum. On the other hand, Mimi wants to realise her dreams of owning a fashion boutique in New York City by selling it to the highest bidder. In between walking to Steventon (Jane Austen's birthplace), visiting Chawton and stopping at Jane Austen's grave in Winchester, they uncovered the secrets shared between the Austen sisters through reading the contents of the diary. The clues in there leads them to another hidden Jane Austen artifact. However, before they attempt to decipher the riddles, Cassandra's diary is stolen from Ellen's room and now both sisters must determine who among their walking companions has taken it. But will they succeed in their quest to find the missing diary and the second item rumoured to be Jane Austen's diary or is it all for nothing?

Along the way, both sisters encounter love, romance, their own family secrets and a member of the Formidables, a secret society dedicated to protecting and guarding Jane Austen's manuscripts, letters ad documents thought to be destroyed by Cassandra after Jane's death. Mrs Gwendolyn Parrot who was first introduced in Jane Austen Ruined My Life made an impression on Ellen that she knows more about them than she is letting on. What is she trying to hide? And will both siblings end up with the love of their life?

I am glad to say that I enjoyed reading this clever and imaginative adventure into Austen countryside although I have never been there. I can certainly picture the breathtaking sceneries unfolding in my mind and wish that the tour was extended to include Jane Austen's stay in London, Bath and Lyme. Nevertheless, the mystery element is well founded and I was engross to learn more of the fictional romance between Jane and Jack Smith that was revealed in Ms Pattillo's first book. The Dashwood Sisters Tell All is definitely on par if not better than Jane Austen Ruined My Life.

Another aspect that I like is knowing the thoughts and opinions of the two sisters and how they parallel the lives of not just Elinor and Marianne but also Cassandra and Jane. It made for an interesting food for thought that regardless of how the world evolve, human characteristics still remains the same and people will handle difficult situations differently. In my personal opinion, Ms Pattillo definitely succeeded in paying homage to our dear Jane and I would clearly love to read more of her books if it is written in this vein. As it comes highly recommended by many Janeites and not just yours truly, my suggestion is not to give this book a miss and quickly put this delightful Sense and Sensibility-inspired novel on the top of your pile of books to-be-read.

This is my third selection for The Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge 2011 hosted by the wonderful Laurel Ann Nattress at Austenprose. Additionally this is my twenty-first book review for The Book Buff's Jane Austen is My Homegirl Reading Challenge.