Overview

Margaret refuses to let a lack of money ruin her dreams of visiting Pompeii and making discoveries of her own.To her family's dismay she begins earning her own living as a companion to an elderly lady in London. She saves every shilling -- until an unexpected circumstance enables her to go to Europe. With no male relatives able to escort her, she recruits a small party of ladies to travel with her - a daring endeavor for an Englishwoman in the 1820s. Margaret is thrilled when she finds an archeological expedition near Pompeii, unaware that it will lead to danger. She discovers that lofty goals and scientific advancements cannot thwart evil - but that courage and determination can. Margaret is the youngest of the three sisters in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, in which she makes only minor appearances. Austen's book concludes when Margaret is about 13 years old. A Life of Her Own continues the story of Margaret's life and adventures - but it is more than a sequel. It is a meticulously researched historical novel about one woman's attempt to overcome the constraints limiting the choices of pre-Victorian ladies - constraints upon the books they were permitted to read, the places they could go unescorted, and the people with whom they could associate. Margaret attempts to work within and around society's norms to construct a life that brings her meaning and joy - the task with which we all contend.

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Reviews

When Margaret Dashwood is introduced, seemingly as an afterthought in the last sentence of Sense and Sensibility's opening chapter, Austen tells us, 'She did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.' Margaret stays at home to look after her mother, enabling everyone else's story but her own. Now, in this beautifully wrought and compelling novel, Wendy Zomparelli rescues Margaret from the margins and gives the youngest sister her own narrative, her own sense, her own sensibility. Those who know Austen will be captivated by Margaret Dashwood's adventuresome afterlife; those who don't will be enthralled by this wondrous novel in its own right. A Life of Her Own offers up all the pleasures of 19th-century fiction in elegant, eloquent prose. We live and love with Margaret and are transported: literally, to Italy and beyond; spiritually, to an access of the heart. - Ivan Johnson This book is flat-out marvelous. Somehow Zomparelli has managed to make her superb writing period but never in the least antique. The reviewer who said the book succeeds in world-building knows whereof they speak; the places, habitations, artifacts, clothes, mores, books, music, art, etc. are evoked with dizzying richness. The quoted writings of the protagonist Margaret are tours de force of Margaret's and Zomparelli's alike. The book had me laughing in spots, misting up in even more of them. The plot is complex clever, and richly peopled with beautifully drawn characters. I reel a little at the thought of the planning, research, imagination, time, and talent that went into the making of such a book--an achievement not just reminiscent of, but worthy of, Austen herself. -- D. Brown This is a wonderful read for all who love the portrayal of intelligent, independent 19th-century women, including the characters created by Jane Austen, whose inspiration is seen in A Life of Her Own. In Zomparelli's book, young Margaret Dashwood stymies the expectations of her more domesticated relations. With a passion for seeing the ruins of Pompeii, with maps and compass, books, pen, paper and indefatigable curiosity, Margaret sets out on a journey that brings her joy, danger, and ultimately great wisdom. A beautifully written and delightful book! -- Ann Woodward

Author Information

"I love the novels written in the nineteenth century. The only problem is that nobody writes them anymore. So I decided to write one of my own: ""A Life of Her Own.""My writing career began after graduating in English at Cornell University. I went to work in Cornell's Office of Public Information, where I wrote press releases and articles. Those years taught me the basics of news writing, and eventually I was hired as a feature writer for The Raleigh (N.C.) Times, then for for its larger sister paper, The News and Observer. Later I moved to The Roanoke Times in Virginia, one of three metro newspapers owned by Landmark Communications. And in Roanoke, with support and mentoring, I became the first woman to be appointed as the paper's chief editor. I later was named the Times's president and publisher. Upon retiring, I moved from Roanoke to Charlottesville and, after serving as Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at Washington and Lee University, from non-fiction to fiction. My children's book, ""Princess Ingeborg and the Dragons,"" came out in 2018, and ""A Life of Her Own"" debuted in November 2021."

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