Hi readers! I’m so happy to welcome back author Sarah Price to Austenesque Reviews today, who is gearing up to release her fourth adaptation of a Jane Austen novel! For those of you who 
don’t know, Sarah’s books are Amish-inspired retellings of Jane Austen novels, and her fourth book, Sense and Sensibility, is due out March 1st! I love that there are now four books in this series! Woot! I hope you enjoy Sarah’s post on the similarities of courtship between the Regency Time period and the Amish community!
Eh. Just eh…
How do you approach romance: with a practical attitude of maintaining privacy or an emotional display of shouting it from the nearest rooftop?
The other morning, on my daily video blog, I asked my viewers that very question.
Any Jane Austen fan will immediately suspect that Elinor and Marianne from Sense & Sensibility are lurking somewhere in the dark corners of my mind (and yes, I know brains are not square but I like the idea of corners hiding these thoughts!).
They’d be right.
However, the “Elinor” and “Marianne” that I was thinking about came from my own adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic, Sense and Sensibility (Realms, 2016). The story of the Detweiler family takes place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in an Amish community. And, while many people might not see the connection, there are many similarities between present day Amish life and the Regency era.
One of them happens to be courtship.
When the Amish couples begin courting, it is usually done in secret and almost always starts with a buggy ride home from a youth event. And, in most cases, when weddings are announced after a church service, most of the community had no idea that the groom and his bride had been courting at all. Although courting practices differ across Amish communities, daughters are always a concern for the Amish. Ideally, their daughters will marry landowners (i.e. farmers) as it ensures that the next generation will grow up removed from the world of the Englische. Until they are sixteen, Amish girls are kept very isolated from social activities. Once they turn sixteen, they may go out with other youths, but only in the company of mixed sexes. To be caught alone with a man would create speculation and damage reputations, not just for her but her family.
Sounds an awful lot like Regency era romances, doesn’t it?
There is something to be said for both the Regency and Amish social norms when it came to courtship, where relationships were (and are) meant to be approached with great sense and less sensibility. Courting couples have more privacy to get to know each other and make a decision without the fear of public (or just private) embarrassment if the relationship fails before they reach the alter.
For many of us, we probably recognize more Marianne in our own nature. We don’t have to hide who we choose to date and, with social media, there really are fewer ways to hide it than in the days before we all had a cellphone-turned-lifeline-to-Internet. The one problem with sharing too much information with the global world of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is that there is the off-chance that the relationship will fail and where does that leave us? Besides having a broken heart, there is also the awkward moments of facing people who hadn’t noticed that we switched our relationship status to “Single.”
Still, the idea of adapting Jane Austen’s romantic story into an Amish setting was fun to write. In many ways, I found myself understanding both of the heroines’ reasons for how they approached their suitors. And, of course, at the end of day (or book, in this case), I learned that a careful balance of both sense and sensibility is the best way to approach all relationships.
It’s a lesson well learned.
~ Sense and Sensibility ~
to be released: March 1st
Henry Detweiler dies unexpectedly, leaving his second wife and three daughters, Eleanor, Mary Ann, and Maggie, in the care of John, his oldest son from a previous marriage. John and his wife, Fanny, inherit the farm and, despite a deathbed promise to take care of their stepmother and half-sisters, John and Fanny make it obvious that Mrs. Detweiler and her daughters are not welcomed at the farm. When Edwin Fischer, Fanny’s older brother, takes notice of Eleanor and begins to court her, much to the disapproval of his sister, Fanny makes life even more difficult for the Detweiler women.
In their new home, Eleanor wonders if Edwin will come calling while Mary Ann catches the attention of Christian Bechtler, an older bachelor in the church district, and John Willis, a younger man set to inherit a nearby farm. While Eleanor quietly pines for Edwin, Mary Ann does not hide her infatuation with John Willis. When the marriage proposal from John Willis does not materialize, Mary Ann is left grief-stricken and humiliated as the Amish community begins to gossip about their relationship. In the meantime, a broken-hearted Eleanor learns that Edwin is engaged to another woman.
Will admitting her affections for him result in the marriage proposal Eleanor has always desired?
Thank you, Sarah! I am greatly looking forward to reading your new release and seeing how your heroines learn from their heartaches! It will be fun to see the parallels between the Amish community and the Regency period!
Connect with Sarah
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Today Sarah brings with her ONE ebook copy of Sense and Sensibility for me to give away to ONE lucky winner!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment!
I’m curious to know if you’ve read any of the books in this lovely series.
Do you have any you want to read? (I want to read them all!)
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Sarah!
- This giveaway ends February 24th!
I haven’t read any of these books but since I do enjoy reading Amish books and I love anything Jane Austen, I think I would really like to.
I haven’t read any of these yet, but being from PA Dutch Country I am certainly curious to give them a try.
Oh yes, I have read “First Impressions” and “Second Chances”. “Sense and Sensibility” is on my wishlist, so I would love to win a copy if possible. Thanks for the giveaway, Sarah and Meredith!
Best of luck, Ginna!
Not sure why I’ve never started this series. I lived in Lancaster County for years surrounded by Amish farms and buying fresh produce, eggs and baked goods from the Amish children who came to my door with a wagon loaded with their offerings once a week during harvest season. They are very, very shy with the “English” (anyone who’s not Amish) but gradually started to talk more and answer our questions about their culture. Fascinating. I know Ms. Prince’s books generally get very good reviews. This sounds like a good opportunity to get me started on her books. In the meantime, I’m adding them to my TBR pile!
I haven´t read any of them, but I think it has been a good idea to take Jane Austen´s characters and putting them in the present but in a society like Amish community where, as Sarah has explained, has some connections with Regency era. “Sense and Sensibility” provides the readers with a lot of emotions and anxiety so it will be a thrilling reading. By the way, don´t put me for the giveaway because I prefer paperbacks. Ah, I would like to say that all the covers of Sarah Price are gorgeous! 😉
Perhaps Lydia should have lived among the Amish as she was out at 15 and look at the trouble she got into! Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
I’ve only recently discovered this author, through this website actually. I ordered Second Chance in paperback this week and I can’t wait to read it. I bought it because I couldn’t wait for Sense and Sensibility which I’m just dying to read. It sounds really good. As well as being an Austen fan I love Amish stories. Will be very interesting to see how the Austen family come across in the story.
I didn’t know much about the Amish courtship so this was a fascinating post for me. I agree that it does sound much like the courtships of the English regency. This modern Amish Eleanor and Mary Ann sound like a fun pair to read.
I have this series on my wish list, but haven’t picked the first one up yet. They all sound very good.
The first two in this series are part of my ever increasing TBR list, sitting on my Kindle and I’m determined to read them this year. The comparisons between the two societies sound very close indeed with both having quite rigid structures regarding propriety and courtship.
This adaptation of S&S sounds just as fascinationg as the others. Thanks for the post and the guveaway ladies.
I really enjoy this series–if you haven’t read it yet, please do! The similarities between the Amish and Regency social norms and Sarah Price’s lovely writing make for great reads. 🙂 My favorite is The Matchmaker. Looking forward to reading this one! Best wishes on the new release and thanks for this post.
I have read the first three and would love to have this new one “Sense and Sensibility” to add to my collection. I have enjoyed reading numerous books by Sarah Price.
Thank you so much for introducing me to this author. I’ve put several of her books on my wish list so sooner or later they’ll end up in my possession! I look forward to this book especially
I want to read them all, too!! They all look lovely! 🙂
Haven’t read any of the books yet, but can’t wait to. I try to catch most of the Amish books I read at the library.
Ive read all the books in the series . Been anticipating this book since I finished them months ago.
I am working my way through all of Sarahs books and want to read all of these.
I have “Second chances” on by TBR list but I have not had time to read it yet.
I recently read Sense and Sensibility for the first time, so I am curious about reading variations.
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I haven’t read any of the 3,but have read some of her other books and have enjoy reading them,thanks for the given away
I have not read any of them yet, but want to. I just love Sarah’s books.
I’ve read the other 3 and love them!! They are wonderfully written. I believe Jane Austen herself would be pleased! I’d love to win this to go with my others.
I want to own Sense and Sensibility, I have read the other three an they are great. I have it on a wish list but would love to win also.
I have not read them yet, but have them on my Kindle waiting!!! Love the covers of the books!
I have read all of the books in this series and will get this as well. I would love to win this and then when I am done reading it I will share with my mom who has stage 4 cancer
Have read the other three and loved them. Really want to read the newest book.
Not sure why I haven’t read any of these books. I do watch her on Facebook and love listening to her. So I would be blessed to read any one of her books. I love reading about the Amish and I love doing reviews to bless authors for their hard work and to let readers know about good books.
Oh id love to win this!!!!!
I would love to read them all! I follow Sarah Price but I haven’t had a chance to read these books yet. I would love to win this book. Thanks for the opportunity!
Would love to win this one…have the other 3 pictured at the top….! <3 all of Sarah's books! A real talent! Thanks for the chance~ BLESSINGS~
Love your books,thanks for a chance to win
I have not read them yet, but on my list! Would love to add to my collection of your work~
roxie mccoury is a avid reader of Sarah Price the Plain Fame series is my favorite.
I have not read any yet ! 🙁 love your morning coffee with the Guinea pig and the horse !! 🙂
I would love to win this book. I love her books. But what person doesn’t? Most everyone here will write that. But I would love to read this series. I haven’t yet.
Faye L. Roy
Hello ladies! I have a few of this series that I’ve been meaning to read for what seems like ages. I think, like you say, that the structure in the Amish society makes it work really well for a modern update. I read an update of S&S that, for me, didn’t really work because even if a property was left just to the son, women can work these days but setting the story in a society like this means that it’s a part of the plot that needn’t be changed or explained.
I love the sound of this series and anxious to read. My best friend goes on and on about your books.
No I haven’t read any of these books but I do love Amish romances, so I’ve added all titles to my wishlist. Which is ever growing 🙂
I haven’t read any of the novels yet, but it sounds like such a unique type of variations. Looking forward to reading them.