Set in 19 century England, Keeping the Castle
is Austen's Pride and Prejudice distorted by the strength, humor and
sarcasm of 17 year old Althea Crawley. The story line follows Althea as
she attempts to hold on to her impoverished family's crumbling castle
by the only means available--marrying a wealth man. Anyone familiar
with Austen's work will recognize Kindl's subtle spoof of the
limitations imposed upon women during this time period. I enjoyed
Althea's ingenuity as she continued to find ways of keeping up the
appearance of wealth-- serving her neighbors reused tea bags as they sat
on furniture that literally crumbed underneath them. This book was a
quick, fun, slightly familiar read.
The setting of For Darkness Shows the Stars
is an island cut off from whatever remains of a world destroyed by a
genetically engineered DNA experiment gone horribly wrong. Elliot North
is trying desperately to keep her family's farm running despite her
father and older sister's selfish acts of cruelty and wastefulness.
Four years ago she refused to leave the farm to travel with her best
friend Kai, feeling honor bound to stay to protect the farm workers from
her father. Now Kai is back and determined to make Elliot regret
her decision. This book is Austen's Persuasion in a post-apocalyptic world that argues the benefits of scientific intervention verses allowing nature to take its course.
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