Full Description

Searching for Pemberley

 "History, romance, and even a little mystery all combined in one wonderful book."
—Best Sellers World, Five Star Review

Maggie went in search of a love story, but she never expected to find her own…

Desperate to escape her life in a small Pennsylvania mining town, Maggie Joyce accepts a job in post-World War II London, hoping to find adventure. While touring Derbyshire, she stumbles upon the stately Montclair, rumored by locals to be the inspiration for Pemberley, the centerpiece of Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice.

Determined to discover the truth behind the rumors, Maggie embarks on a journey through the letters and journals of Montclair’s former owners, the Lacey family, searching for signs of Darcy and Elizabeth.

But when the search introduces her to both a dashing American pilot and a handsome descendant of the "Darcy" line, Maggie must decide how her own love story will end…

***

PRAISE FOR SEARCHING FOR PEMBERLEY:

"A shining addition to the world of historical fiction."
Curled Up With A Good Book

"A resounding success on all levels."
Roundtable Reviews

"A precious jewel of a novel with a strong love story and page-turning mystery. Absorbing, amusing, and very cleverly written."
The Searcher

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1

My hometown is little more than a bump in the road between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre in the hard-coal country of eastern Pennsylvania. At the time of the 1929 stock market crash inaugurating the Great Depression, Minooka had already been in its own depression for five years. The lack of work meant that most of the town's young people were reading want ads for jobs in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

I was in high school in December 1940 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his famous "Arsenal of Democracy" radio address to the nation. In that speech, the president committed the industrial might of the United States to defeating fascism in Europe. Because of that commitment, factories that had been idled during the Depression were now running three shifts in an attempt to supply Great Britain with the planes, tanks, artillery, and other war materiel needed to defeat Nazi Germany. It seemed as if every company in America was hiring, and the biggest employer of them all was the United States government.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into the war, what had been a steady stream of job seekers to the nation's capital became a deluge. After graduating from business college in Scranton in June 1944, I headed to Washington to join my two older sisters who had been working in the District since early 1941. Without any experience, I was hired as a clerk typist with the Treasury Department for the princely sum of $1,440 a year. With three paychecks coming in, my sisters and I were able to rent an apartment in a row house near Dupont Circle.

On June 6, 1944, the long-awaited invasion of France had begun, and with the news of the successful landings came the realization that the Allies would win. Finally, on May 8, 1945, America and the world learned that the Germans had officially surrendered. After nearly six years of bloodshed, the war in Europe was over. Now, all resources were being diverted to the Pacific and the defeat of the Empire of Japan.

In August 1945, when the newspapers reported that a B-29 bomber, the "Enola Gay," had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, no one understood exactly what an atomic bomb was. Then another was dropped on Nagasaki with casualties reported as being in the tens of thousands from just one bomb. Suddenly, the possibility that the fighting might soon end was very real. On a personal level, this meant I might soon be unemployed. I need not have worried; my job was never in jeopardy. But with the war over, both of my sisters had decided to return to Minooka, which meant I would have to find a place to live. Although I posted a notice on the bulletin board in the lunchroom advertising for a room or roommate, my heart wasn't in it. I was ready for a change, and memories of the heat and humidity of a Washington summer provided the motivation.

A co-worker mentioned that the Army Exchange Service, the agency responsible for providing goods and services to American service personnel, was hiring for positions in Germany because of the large number of servicemen who were stationed in the American occupation zone. I was not ready to go back home, but if avoiding a return to my hometown meant going to Germany, I didn't see how that was much of an improvement.

The war in Europe had been over for more than a year, but the newspapers were full of stories and pictures of a defeated Germany with many cities pounded into powder. The aerial bombing and the fighting on the ground had left many of the structures without windows or walls and with their interiors exposed to passersby. Their occupants, often hungry children, looked out at the photographer with faces full of want and despair. I was depressed from reading about it; how would I feel if I actually lived there?

Notwithstanding all the drawbacks, I went on an interview with the Army Exchange Service. Because AES was so short staffed in Germany, the personnel manager told me that if I agreed to a year's employment in Frankfurt, he would try to get me six months in London. Two weeks later, I sailed for Hamburg and arrived in the former Third Reich in August 1946. As the train pulled into the Frankfurt station, I was met by a scene straight out of Dante's Inferno. A huge black hulk of twisted metal was all that was left of the once grand railway station. My first inclination was to get the hell out of Dodge, but instead, I took the bus to the Rhein-Main Air Base, my home for the next year.

Although my co-workers insisted that conditions in Frankfurt had improved since that first year after the war's end, I found it hard to believe when I looked on city block after city block of bombed buildings and piles of rubble or passed Germans on the street who walked with hunched shoulders and downcast eyes. When winter came, it proved to be one of the most brutally cold winters Europe had ever experienced. Rivers were choked with ice, canals froze, rail travel was curtailed, and the coal shortages caused terrible hardships for the Germans. Initially, there was little sympathy for our former enemies, and all contact with the general German population was forbidden. However, by the time I arrived, the non-fraternization policy was a thing of the past, and American servicemen were lining up at military personnel offices to apply for permission to marry German nationals.

After working in Frankfurt for one year, my transfer to London was approved, but because of a reduction in the number of military personnel stationed in Britain, there was no guarantee as to the length of my employment. I was so eager to leave Germany that I agreed and arrived in time to experience late summer in London. Even though the city still showed the extensive damage caused by German bombs, I was more than happy to be in an English-speaking country. I immediately liked England and the English. They were not demonstrative, but in small ways, they showed that they appreciated all the United States had done to help them defeat Germany and Japan.

Every weekend I became a typical American tourist. Riding London's red double-decker buses, I visited the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, and all the other popular tourist sites that made London a cultural jewel. I stood in line at the British Museum to see the Elgin Marbles. The friezes from the Parthenon were being displayed for the first time since the beginning of the war when they had been packed up and stored in the Aldwych Piccadilly Underground to keep them safe from German bombs.

After weeks of touring London, I wanted to get out into the countryside, so I asked for suggestions from the girls in my office building who had moved to London from all over the British Isles. As a devoted fan of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, I especially wanted to know more about Hertfordshire and Derbyshire, the major settings for the story. Pamela, a Derbyshire native, was also a fan of the book and told me that I should find out if "Montclair," the house where the Darcys had lived, was open to visitors. At first I thought she was "having me on," but then I realized that she was perfectly serious.

Reviews

Reviews

The Romantic Times Amanda Woytus
In this sweet and nostalgic novel, Simonsen borrows from Pride and Prejudice to create her own post-World War II love story, originally published in 2007 as Pemberley Remembered. Simonsen’s attention to Maggie’s complex character shows. Readers should revisit Austen’s novel before tackling this tale, or at least look at Simonsen’s character notes in the book. A large cast of secondary characters, as well as all of Austen’s characters, weighs down the novel at times.

Summary: Working in London after WW II, American Maggie Joyce’s interest is piqued when she hears rumors that Pride and Prejudice was based on two real families and that Pemberley was modeled after a country home in Derbyshire. Maggie is referred to a couple, Jack and Beth Crowell. Jack’s father was the butler at Montclair, and the Crowells not only welcome her, they believe the rumor is true and own a trunk full of letters from the woman said to be the real-life Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy.

During her investigation, Maggie catches the eye of American navigator Rob McAllister. As her relationships with both the Crowells and Rob develop, she discovers the pain the war has caused, uncovers the truth behind the rumor and finds her very own Mr. Darcy.

3/5 Stars

Publishers Weekly
Using a literary mystery rooted in Jane Austen’s inspiration for Pride and Prejudice, Simonsen’s debut novel brings resonance to the story of a love-torn American girl in post-WWII London. Young and eager for adventure, Maggie Joyce has left her jobless Pennsylvania coal-mining town for a typist position overseas. In London, she discovers two love interests as well as connections to the real-life Londoners rumored to have been the basis for Pride’s Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Learning to disregard her prim and proper instincts, Maggie becomes closer to her very own version of Darcy, as well as the families of the original Darcy and Bennet, from whom she receives old diary entries and letters. Simonsen is clever and evenhanded, maintaining an unhurried pace in both the Austen adventure and Maggie’s love life. Fans of historical fiction and Austen should savor this leisurely read.

A Bibliophile’s Bookshelf Bella McGuire
For all the Jane Austen fans out there, we are living in a year that is rich in Jane Austen sequels and we don’t have to go very far to get our hands on another dose of Jane Austen-inspired literature. Whether your taste goes for the daring, such as Mr Darcy, Vampyre or Pride or Prejudice and Zombies, or to the sedate and sweet, such as Loving Mr Darcy or Willoughby’s Return, there is definitely plenty of variety. Amongst all this reading along comes a book to be truly treasured and admired. A book rich in historical fact, and a complete treasure to read. That book is Searching for Pemberley.

I just adored reading Searching for Pemberley. Rather than writing a sequel, which many authors seem to be doing, Mary Lydon Simonsen has gone down a different route. She’s written a unique novel based on the idea that the characters of Pride and Prejudice were actually real people, that Jane Austen knew and based her popular book on.

Meet Maggie, a young girl who is besotted with Jane Austen, as she travels through Derbyshire in search of the real “Darcy’s” and Bennet’s”.

Searching for Pemberley is rich in historical detail, as the book is set in the post-war England. History buffs will certainly be pleased with how accurate the historical facts are, and as someone who hasn’t read many post-war novels I found the historical details very enjoyable.

This was such a sweet, lovely read, with such rich characters and it was with much regret that it had to end. I could have read 1,000 pages on these wonderful characters, and I surely hope Mary Lydon Simonsen has more in store for us, in the future.

With the holidays just around the corner, I definitely recommend purchasing this beautifully written book for the Jane Austen fan in your family. I know I will be buying a copy for my favorite Jane Austen fans.

Austenesque Reviews Meredith Esparza
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
*****
“Searching for Pemberley,”originally published as “Pemberley Remembered” in 2007, is an exceptional Austen-Inspired novel that combines history, romance, war, and “Pride and Prejudice.” In this novel, Mary Lydon Simonsen explores the possibility of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” being inspired by real people and illustrates how the love story of Elizabeth Garrison and William Lacey parallels that of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Ms. Simonsen does not imply that Jane Austen needed to borrow material for her novels, yet this work of fiction indulges in the idea that one of the greatest love stories of all time was indeed inspired by real people.

Maggie Joyce, our quiet and unassuming heroine, does not have a lot to be cheerful about as she lives in London post World War II and works for the Army Exchange Service. Even though the war ended two years ago much of London is still devastated and destroyed, items like eggs and tea are considered a scarcity, and living quarters are often cramped and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Maggie finds enjoyment in spending her weekends touring country estates near London. One day she encounters Montclair, a famous estate rumored to be the inspiration for Jane Austen’s Pemberley and she learns that many people believe the couple that lived there were the models for Jane Austen’s characters of Elizabeth and Darcy. After touring the house Maggie decides to discover for herself if there is any validity to this rumor and embarks upon her own “Pride and Prejudice Project.”

Maggie is introduced to Beth and Jim Crowell, a couple who is connected to and is very knowledgeable about the Lacey family. This lovely and friendly couple begin to care for Maggie as a daughter and become a surrogate family for her while she is away from home. I greatly enjoyed Maggie’s relationship with this kind and dear couple; they assisted her in studying the association between the Laceys and “Pride and Prejudice” as well as shared the story of their own loving, yet at times unhappy and troubled marriage.

There are two men in Maggie’s life during her time in England: Rob McAllister, who served in WWII as a navigator on a B-17 bomber and Michael Crowell, son of Beth and Jim, who serves in the RAF. One of these men is reserved, emotionally scarred, and has a commitment problem. The other is flirtatious, charming, and already in a relationship. Maggie faces some trials and complications in her relationships with these men and it marks a time in her life where she matures, blossoms, and makes some life-defining decisions. I took pleasure in this love triangle and at times couldn’t decide who I wanted Maggie to be with; Ms. Simonsen created a very captivating and heartrending romance.

How I enjoyed this unique and inventive tale by Mary Lydon Simonsen! It is a serious story and one that is leisurely and lovingly told. I greatly appreciated Ms. Simonsen’s attention to detail and her impeccable research and representation of life post World War II. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was how well it portrayed the challenges of living during a war and how it effects and changes the lives of so many for such a long time. In addition, I enjoyed the various documents, diary entries, and letters interspersed throughout the story. These documents, to and from the Laceys, were what Maggie was researching to determine if the Laceys were the real Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I loved hearing the voices and thoughts of these characters through their letters and I found it quite amusing that Anne de Bough would serve as a confidante and faithful correspondent to Mr. Darcy! While these letters and diary entries were insightful and interesting, I would have loved for the story of Elizabeth Garrison and William Lacey to be a little more imaginative and original (especially the proposal scenes).

I highly recommend “Searching For Pemberley” for readers who want a break from reading light-hearted and fluffy novels and are interested in a mature and serious tale of three love stories interwoven with the tragedies of war and the discovery of a true “Pride and Prejudice” romance. I dearly hope to see more works from Mary Lydon Simonsen in print soon!

Everything Victorian and More Barbara Davis
On a trip to England, after World War II, an American woman, Maggie James, sets out to investigate a rumor concerning Jane Austen’s writing of literature’s famous Pride and Prejudice. The history of Pemberley begins to open as she meets the residents of a beautiful stately mansion in the countryside. Was this the actual home of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy? Through reading a series of old documents, Maggie begins to unravel the history and personalities behind one of the most beloved romances in literature.

The author’s writing flows with ease from page to page, making it an easy, fast read. It’s a story that brings new insight, meaning, and possibilities to an old favorite that is sure to fascinate Austen fans.

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Specs / Support

Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 7.75 in
• Width: 5.75 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 20.00 oz
• Page Count: 496 pages