Here at the Future Female Leaders Book Club, we love to pick current, contemporary books that our readers love–but we also do not shy away from our love of classic literature. This month, we’re doing a little bit of both with Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmonson, a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
If you aren’t familiar with the original Austen story, do NOT let that deter you from reading Edmonson’s lively interpretation which is full of modern day DC drama and scandals, romance, and politics galore! Our story begins with the patriarch of the Richardson family dying unexpectedly and leaving his family–especially his oldest daughter, Daisy–to pick up the pieces. Scandals, mistresses, and “bad press” galore. But Daisy has herself, her own career on the Hill, and the lives of her mother and her younger sister to think of as well. As the Richardsons try to navigate DC life with the scandals still unfolding around them, they will all learn to be a little more resilient, a lot more brave, and to find the power they have within them.
One reviewer on Goodreads gave the book five stars, writing:
“Ms. Austen would be thrilled with this modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. So many quotes to love! An absolutely well needed story of women, strong women, determined to their lives without shame.”
We hope you’ll feel the same way!
Sense and Sensibility, the original Austen novel that was published in 1811, is not as often adapted as her most famous book, Pride and Prejudice. While this book definitely has romance in it, Sense and Sensibility, and Ladies of the House, is also about family and sisterhood as much as falling in love with a man! We know Austen will give us our happy ending, but it’s all about the journey, isn’t it?
Ladies of the House, with all it’s drama and DC-politcal maneuverings, also has a lot of heart. We think our readers–those who love Capitol Hill and those who hate it–will find something to love about this book. It’s about sisterhood as much as anything else, and there’s a wide cast of characters to be intrigued by–just like in a classic Austen novel! Fair warning: It’s going to make you want to wander around Georgetown in the spring.
Daisy is the kind of protagonist we all want to grow up to be–fiercely independent, a lovely sister and daughter, career-driven, and bold in the best ways. Of course, like any heroine, she grows and changes and realizes her flaws throughout the book, but by the end, you’ll be cheering her name from the rooftops.
We cannot wait to discuss LADIES OF THE HOUSE by Lauren Edmonson with you this July. It’s the perfect summer reading, inside or outdoors. We hope you’ll join us in our private Facebook group to discuss this book and other books we’re reading, and follow us on Instagram!
Future Female Leaders is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
