Darcy's Christmas Wish: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Penelope Swan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a twelve year old boy, Fitzwilliam Darcy falls into a frozen pond while at Rosings for the Christmas season. No one is in sight as he desperately tries to reach shore, but he is tired and soaking wet and feels himself greatly in danger of drowning. From nowhere comes a very young, but strong girl to help pull him from the water. She covers him with pine branches for some protection and runs for help. But, he is discovered by servants before she returns. In his feverish state his family almost convinces him she was just his imagination. But, he remembers her eyes. His Christmas Wish that year is to someday meet the little girl that saved his life. Years later, as an adult, Darcy is again at Rosings for Christmas, and wonders about the lovely Elizabeth Bennet whose eyes immediately caught his attention when they met in Meryton.
My initial thought in reading Darcy's Christmas Wish was that it was a story that could have been written about anyone, but the characters were given names from Pride and Prejudice. However, as time goes on, you begin to see how P&P takes hold in the characters personalities and actions. This is a tale of P&P with all personalities true to Jane Austen's characters.
The only serious variations, outside the initial premise, are in time of year and Colonel Fitzwilliam being a widowed father of a young boy named George. However, a potentially tragic incident involving George and his puppy, tied to the weather in winter, plays a very important role in unifying all of our usual characters during the Christmas season.
Darcy's Christmas Wish is a very sweet tale played around the tendency of the upper circles to judge too harshly and too quickly based on class and the importance of good breeding. Elizabeth is the character who helps to demonstrate how honesty and love are universal, and trust in appropriate blood lines is not always well placed.
As in P&P, we see Darcy change for the better due to Elizabeth's actions and harsh words. But, Darcy is not the only one at Rosings to undergo these changes. All are bettered due to Elizabeth's influence. And, the result is seen just as Christmas morning arrives.
This is a very satisfying P&P variation. Of course, our dear couple have their happily ever after, but the story has a lovely message for the Christmas season regarding love and kindness and the role they can have in overcoming pride and prejudice. I am not sure if I have read other Penelope Swan JAFF but I will certainly check them out.
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