Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen.
At 10, Fanny Price, a poor relation, goes to live at Mansfield Park, the estate of her aunt`s husband, Sir Thomas. Clever, studious, and a writer with an ironic imagination and fine moral compass, she becomes especially close to Edmund, Thomas`s younger son.
Fanny is soon possessed of beauty as well as a keen mind and comes to the attention of a neighbor, Henry Crawford. Thomas promotes this match, but to his displeasure, Fanny has a mind of her own, asking Henry to prove himself worthy.
As Edmund courts Henry`s sister and as light shines on the link between Thomas`s fortunes and New World slavery, Fanny must assess Henry`s character and assert her heart as well as her wit. |
