A new Take on Jane Eyre from the young charge of Jane's point of view. Adele is a small child in France in the late 1800's raised by her dancer/courtesan single mother. When her mother shows signs of the final stages of consumption, an unknown English father appears and whisks her off to the moors of England. Adele's childhood is now dreary and lonely, further complicated by a seemingly tortured ghost, who visits her by night. Her life improves significantly once a governess is hired. Jane is efficient and kind and Adele finally feels seen. Things get strange and complicated with Dad and Jane, but eventually they marry and send Adele off to boarding school in London. It is here that Adele fully realizes the limitation of being a woman in Victorian England. New friends and a pen-pal in Jamaica keep her afloat, but she still does not feel in control of her own destiny. Life is difficult for young women of this time and place, where they are being groomed to marry brutal and abusive men. Will she be forced to marry an unwanted and unkind suiter or will she manage to break free of cultural norms?
Cornwell presents a feminist take on Victorian England within the framework of the classic novel Jane Eyre. This fresh look maintains the gothic mood and settling, all while bringing a contemporary sensibility to the story. Adele is a super-strong character, who makes her own way in the world despites its limitations. She becomes a champion for her friends, who are prisoners of their social constraints, and lives life on her own terms. This is at its heart a LGBQ+ romance and Adele is brave enough to embrace non-traditional love, as well as finding companionship outside of her social class. Maybe because of her early days at the Moulin Rouge, she is not afraid to do what is need--including murder. The Jane Eyre connection is interesting, but not the whole crux of the novel. Adele's story is her own and she breaks away to tell it. The father continues to be despicable to the bitter end and, actually, there is little to recommend any man within these pages. The story went a bit too dark for me, but teen readers will love it, even those not familiar with Jane Eyre. The cover and the title will draw them in and the fast moving plot will keep them going to the satisfying conclusion.
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