Giveaway! Book 2 - George Knightley, Esquire "Lend Me Leave"

As promised, Barbara Cornthwaite, author of the wonderful George Knightley, Esquire books as offered up her recently published Book 2 in the set, titled Lend Me Leave, as a giveaway.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only--sorry, my international friends. You can enter by leaving a comment, and you get extra entries in the giveaway if you tweet about the giveaway and let me know. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 30 at 8 pm MT.

On to the review...

I really enjoyed the completion of the story as told from Mr. Knightley's point-of-view, although I admit I would rather have read book 2 immediately after finishing book 1. Cornthwaite introduces new characters and storylines and it took me a few chapters to sort out and remember who's who and what's what, but once I did, I could settle back and enjoy the story.

Once again, Mr. K's cat, Madam Duvall stole my heart as surely as Emma stole Mr. Knightley's. I also particularly loved the teasing surface and deep affection and respect that characterized the relationship between the Brothers Knightley. I was convinced completely, not that I have ever had a shred of doubt, of Mr. K's ardent love for Emma and Cornthwaite did a wonderful job in portraying his angst and conflicting emotions as he wrestled with her friendship with the unworthy Frank Churchill. My favorite scene? The ball at which he gallantly danced with Harriet, and is rewarded by Emma for his good deed.

George Knightley, Esquire is a wonderful retelling of Emma--faithful, rich in details, loving in its depiction of the quiet workings of Highbury, and interesting in its approach.

Here's my review of Book 1 in the set, Charity Envieth Not.

Winner of George Knightley, Esquire

Emma may have won the heart of Mr. Knightley, but Michelle from The True Book Addict is the lucky winner of Book One, Charity Envieth Not, of George Knightley, Esquire by Barbara Cornthwaite.

Enjoy the book, Michelle, and I predict that you will dart through it "with the speed of an arrow," and join the rest of us longing for Book Two.

Meet Barbara Cornthwaite, author of George Knightley, Esquire

GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post or the previous one (which is a review of the book itself) and you'll be entered in a giveaway for one of two copies of George Knightley, Esquire Book One. Open to U.S./Canada only--contest ends Wednesday, February 23, 10 pm MT. Tweet this info and/or post on Facebook and you will receive an extra entry--just let me know!


When I decided it was high time that I read and blogged about George Knightley, Esquire (Book One), I asked Barbara Cornthwaite if I could profile her as well. She graciously agreed, and here is our conversation over a virtual cup of tea...



How did you come to write about George Knightley?

I discovered Jane Austen in college, when I was required to read Pride and Prejudice, and then went on to read all the other novels on my own. I ended up teaching literature and writing at the university level for a few years, and then I got married to my charming Irish husband and “retired” to be a homemaker and homeschooling mom to our four lovely children.

I bought my first copy of Emma in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 8, 1994 (I still have the book, and that’s the date I wrote on the title page). I was on my version of the Grand Tour--my parents and I had together scraped up enough money for me to spend a month traveling in the British Isles as a sort of graduation trip from college. I remember buying Emma from a shop called "James Thin, Booksellers" and sitting down to read it in some kind of public park not far away. I think Emma was the third Austen book I read.

Anyway, I read Emma as I traveled around Scotland. I went to a place called Oban because someone had told me it was beautiful. It was, but there was nothing to do there but gaze at the boats in the harbour, and shop. Shopping was out of the budget, and the sea is hard to stand and stare at for more than an hour, so I went back to my bed and breakfast and read the rest of Emma.

I was the perfect reader for such a book--gullible, unsuspicious, and completely taken off guard by the ending. For some reason, early in the book, I had got a mental picture of Mr. Knightley as a short, middle-aged man, slightly pudgy and sporting a mustache (!). With that image in my mind, everything he said and did could be easily interpreted as the actions of a benevolent, caring, uncle-type. I was as shocked as Emma when he declared himself. Of course, I wasn't sure that such a pudgy man with a mustache should be the romantic hero, and the end was a little unsatisfying in that regard. However, a few more readings allowed me to alter my mental picture, and the ending became the standard by which all other novels are judged!

I had been writing various things down through the years, but didn’t feel drawn to Austen fan fiction until I read the books of Pamela Aidan and Susan Kaye. Then I had a decided longing to do for George Knightley what they had done for Mr. Darcy and Captain Wentworth. It’s been great fun!

So, are you (were you) an American who married an Irish man and moved to Ireland?

Yes, I'm American, from Los Angeles (a neighbor here said to me, "So, you went from 18 million people down to 18?"--meaning the size of our village!). Actually, we were in England for a few years first, and then moved to Ireland.

Is homeschooling popular in Ireland? I think of it mainly as a U.S. phenomena, but don't know really know if that's true.

No, homeschooling is not very popular in Ireland, although there are a few of us. There are homeschoolers in almost every Western country, although it's definitely more popular in the U.S. than any other country I've seen. We love it.

Funny, I saw Mr. K in much the same way as you describe first imagining him, so imagine my delight when I saw Jeremy Northam play him. Do you have a favorite adaptation of Emma? Is there an actor you would love to see play your Mr. Knightley?

I like different things about all the adaptations--what I wouldn't give to merge some of them together! I don't think any of them are truly terrible, although I must say that Emma 3 is my least favorite Mr. Knightley. But then it has my favorite Jane Fairfax, so I don't want to give it up. When I heard they were going to make Emma 4, I was kind of hoping they would choose Anthony Howell (Roger in Wives and Daughters) to play Mr. Knightley. But I think Jonny Lee Miller did a great job--I think he's my new favorite, although Jeremy Northam comes close behind.

Would you like to continue the story of the Knightleys after Book 2 comes out (i.e., write a sequel to Austen's story)?

I would love to. If I can think of a good plot and have enough time, I certainly will! I'm not one of those writers that is full of ideas for plots and just doesn't have enough time to write them all. I'm the kind that is stuck for weeks on end because I can't figure out anything to write! But I do love these characters, and hope I can spend more time with them.

Thank-you, Barbara, for sharing your story with us. It's always a treat to chat with authors whose works I admire!

And now...would the real Mr. Knightley please stand up?

Mr Knightley has been portrayed by John Carson (1972), Jeremy Northam (1996), Mark Strong (1996), Jonny Lee Miller (2009)

Prepare to be swept away...by George Knightley, Esquire

GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post and the next one (which profiles author, Barbara Cornthwaite) and you'll be entered in a giveaway for one of two copies of George Knightley, Esquire Book One. Open to U.S./Canada only--contest ends Wednesday, February 23, 10 pm MT. Tweet this info and/or post on Facebook and you will receive an extra entry--just let me know!


I was expecting to really like Barbara Cornthwaite's George Knightley, Esquire. After all, Cornthwaite is a member of the Crownhill Writers Guild, whose other members include Laura Hile, Susan Kaye, and Pamela Aidan and who write some of the best Austen-inspired fiction ever.

I am happy to report that I loved it! Of course, I could only read Book One, but Book Two is due out around May, and I am already fidgeting with eagerness.

I am a great fan of Emma Woodhouse. Although I know she is accused of arrogance, conceit, and condescension, I know her to be only guilty of being young and a bit spoiled but with a good heart and a loving disposition. George Knightley, as beautifully portrayed by Cornthwaite, sees her in the same way. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Knightley gradually come to the realization that his solicitude for Emma is based on a deep and abiding love.

The title of Book One is perfect as the novel focuses on Knightley's struggle to overcome his jealousy of Frank Churchill in order to remain Emma's truest friend. It's such a pleasure to read an Austen-inspired story that aligns so well with my response to the original novel but that also stands on its own. Cornthwaite's story is not only faithful to Austen's Emma, but she provides a rich cast of characters and circumstances that flesh out Knightley's world beyond Hartfield and even Highbury making the novel a very satisfying read.

Among the new characters, my favorites are Mr. Spencer, a new, earnest, tongue-tied young vicar who comes to Donwell when the old vicar is laid up with an injury, and Madame Duval, a white cat given to Knightley by his niece, Bella. In addition, we get a wonderful picture of William Larkins, Knightley's right hand man. Mentioned in passing from time to time in Emma, Cornthwaite's Larkins is a delightful combination of loquacious busybody and efficient farm manager. I also loved hearing Knightley's candid observations of the odious Mr. Elton as he courts Emma, while she is scheming for him to be courting Harriet. Book One ends before Mrs. Elton arrives on the scene, but I cannot wait to hear his observations of her behavior!

Cornthwaite also does justice to the relationship between George Knightley and his brother John. I have always seen these brothers as having one of the most stable, loving, and realistic sibling relationships in all of Austen's novels, and the letters between the two are positively a joy to read.

Finally, Cornthwaite is true to the mystery-novel aspect of the original Emma, not an easy task when you realize how deft was Austen at providing all the clues to the mysteries in plain sight but distracting the reader with Emma's point of view so that we readers are just as clueless as she is. Cornthwaite provides Knightley with clues and allows him to slowly connect-the-dots, but at the same pace as in the original novel.

Bottom line? Barbara Cornthwaite's George Knightley, Esquire is a wonderful addition to my Austen-inspired library. True to original in fact, tone, and style, it provides a well-written, lively, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable story about one of my absolute favorite Austen men, the incomparable George Knightley. If you like your men manly, passionate, compassionate, and comfortable in his own skin, you'll love Mr. Knightley...and he's a cat-person, who knew?

Confession - the only thing that I struggled with is Cornthwaite's decision to refer to her hero as Knightley. Granted, calling him Mr. Knightley throughout the course of the book would have been cumbersome and too formal. Calling him George would have been disrespectful. If Darcy can be Darcy, why can't Knightley be Knightley?--because Mrs. Elton calls him that, much to Emma's scorn. But that, dear readers, is the only quibble I can make about this marvelous book.

Bring on Book 2!