"The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh" by Molly Greeley

This book will be of interest to Pride and Prejudice fans. The focus of this novel is Anne de Bourgh, the sickly daughter of Lady Catherine, and the intended betrothed (at least in Lady Catherine's mind) of Mr. Darcy. The book follows Anne through her entire life: from infancy to death, and provides a comprehensive take on her childhood, coming of age and adulthood. In Pride and Prejudice we see Anne through the eyes of Elizabeth Bennett. She gets very little description other than a sickly young woman, with no personality, conversation or any sort of participation in the outside world. 

Fans of Pride and Prejudice often wonder what disease Anne had. Austen assigns no name to her ailment; and given the state of medicine in the Regency era, it is fair to assume that she was ill due to whatever "treatments" might have been fashionable at the time. The author of The Heiress opines that Anne was a fussy child and was given daily doses of laudanum from infancy all the way into her late 20s. Laudanum kept her not only subdued and drowsy, but also had a negative impact on her appearance and health. Simply put, Anne de Bourgh was addicted to opium based on the recommendation of the family physician and with the full blessing of Lady Catherine. 

Anne de Bourgh throughout the book goes through an incredible transformation. At the age of 29, she makes the decision to stop taking laudanum and escapes the smothering care of her domineering mother by traveling alone to London. There, she stays with her cousin Col. Fitzwilliam and his wife. Col. Fitzwilliam has always been one of my favorite characters in the book and I was really happy to see him in this novel. In London, Anne also finds romance and eventually happiness. The highlight of the novel for me was Anne's taking place as the rightful owner of Rosings Park. To do that, she had to stand up to her own mother, whose unbending will and controlling nature have long acquired a legendary status. 

In addition, to a wonderful plot and well-developed and interesting characters, this book is beautifully written. If you were disappointed by some other P&P variations, give this one a chance. It is well worth your time. 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading the book about Charlotte Lucas by the same author.