Captain Wentworth’s Diary is a re-telling of Persuasion from the man’s perspective. Captain Wentworth is a young man who is rising in the Navy during the Napoleonic wars when he takes shore leave and visits his brother who is a parson in a small community. There, he quickly falls in love with Anne Elliot, daughter of one of the most prestigious men in the community, Sir Elliot. Soon, he proposes marriage, and Anne, in love with him as well, accepts. But she is persuaded by her godmother to end the engagement. So, Captain Wentworth, bitter and disappointed, returns to sea. Eight years later peace has been declared, and he returns, a rich man. He knows he doesn’t love Anne anymore, so why can’t he stop thinking about her?

First off, I always find it slightly amusing when a woman writes a book from a man’s perspective and vice versa. Nevertheless, the moment I saw this book I, quite literally, ran for it. You see, Captain Wentworth is my favorite Austen man. Yes, I like him even more than Mr. Darcy. (That’s another story for another time.) So, I was looking forward to reading this book, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This book really is a diary. I truly got a feel for what Captain Wentworth was thinking. I liked how I was able to see what actually took place when Captain Wentworth proposed to Anne. There were several scenes that I could picture in my head exactly. I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see him portrayed as quite the ladies’ man before Anne captivated him.

The only thing I would have liked to see in this book that wasn’t there was how he coped during the eight long years, instead of immediately springing forward eight years.

My rating- 4/5 stars

Posted by Melanie at 9:26 AM    

Labels: 4 stars, Amanda Grange, Captain Wentworth's Diary