Publication Date: October 7, 2025
A richly imagined novel of the Austen family by the #1 International bestselling-author of Miss Austen.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
1820. Mary Dorothea Knatchbull is living under the sole charge of her widowed father, Sir Edward – a man of strict principles and high Christian values.
But when her father marries Miss Fanny Knight of Godmersham Park, Mary’s life is suddenly changed.
Her new stepmother comes from a large, happy and sociable family and Fanny’s sisters become Mary’s first friends. Her aunt, Miss Cassandra Austen of Chawton, is especially kind. Her brothers are not only amusing, but handsome and charming.
And as Mary Dorothea starts to bloom into a beautiful young woman, she forms an especial bond with one Mr Knight in particular.
Soon, they are deeply in love and determined to marry. They expect no opposition. After all, each is from a good family and has known the other for some years.
It promises to be the most perfect match. Who would want to stand in their way?
Fans of Jane Austen’s writing will enjoy a slice of Regency fiction centering around the Knight family, led by Austen’s brother.
Author Gill Hornby serves up a story of an ill-fated romance in The Elopement. In it, Mary Dorothea Knatchbull and Ned Knight very much want to marry. However, her father forbids the match.
In a time period when a father’s agreement meant the difference between being accepted in society or branded an outcast, the couple must decide what to do.
The author effectively weaves the Austen family members into the story based on journals written by Jane’s niece.
While the practical side of me understands the themes underpinning the story, my emotional side shouts in dismay at the horrifying conclusion. It’s a bit of a slow read for those of us seeking quick entertainment, so keep in mind this is more of an “enlightenment” experience.
The Elopement delivers a story of a Regency romance with an unexpected twist.
Gill Hornby is the author of the novels Miss Austen, The Hive, and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. Her most recent novel is Godmersham Park, also available from Pegasus Books. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children.
