Jane Austenâs Emma begins with the marriage of Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston and closes with the unions of Emma and Mr. Knightley and Jane Fairfax with Frank Churchill. In Emma Redux, the lives of these couples and their children remain entwined. As the next generation grow up, Emma continues her match-making on a new cast of characters over which she protests, she has âonly a little influence.â Throughout, the presence of Emma and Mr. Knightley secure the happiness of Highburyâs residents.
PRAISE FOR EMMA REDUX
âHelen Heinemanâs sequels to Emma tidy up some of the loose ends Austen left behind and then weave a whole new set of adventures for her characters as they make their way through a changing world. Full of lightly-worn learning and crackling with wit and warmth, these stories show us what might have happened after the âhappily ever afterâ of one of the worldâs most popular novels.â âRobert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of Becoming Dickens (Duff Cooper Prize winner) and The Turning Point; Professor of English Literature at the University of London and a Fellow of Magdalene College, Douglas-Fairhurst was historical consultant for the 2009 BBC television serial adaptation of Jane Austenâs Emma
âHeineman writes the Austen dialogue unerringly. These characters are back again, speaking exactly as they would have had Austen been able to continue their story. Her knowledge of the period provides pleasure and instruction. She has the characters absolutely in hand: they are unmistakably themselves, just as we knew them. Her dialogue and description of peopleâs manners, how they behave and think, never seems anachronistic, and strikes my ear as authentically Austen-like. Sheâs clearly the right person for this task. Austen has touched her hand.ââAlan Feldman, author of several collections of poetry including The Happy Genius (Elliston Book Award winner) and The Golden Coin (The Four Lakes Prize winner). Dr. Feldman was Professor and chair of English at Framingham State University
âIn Emma Redux, Helen Heineman continues Jane Austenâs characters and conflicts, making them all her own. Itâs fun to watch Emma and Mr. Knightley grow into their relationship with heart and wit. Heineman also excels at recreating the flavor of Austenâs supporting characters, from the pixilation of Mr. Woodhouse to the slickness of Frank Churchill. Come along to enjoy Helen Heinemanâs bringing the Knightleysâ adventures into the next generationâwith a delightful splash of the Dickensian.ââSharon Healy-Yang, Ph.D, author of the Jessica Minton mystery series