BOOK REVIEW: The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I thought the premise of this Christian historical romance was interesting, so I was pleased to have the chance to read and review it. The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt is a turn of the 20th century re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice, set in a small coal town in Appalachia. 

Lizzy Bennet is the second daughter of a mining geologist turned farmer. Her town’s economy is dependent on the local coal mine, and its owner is retiring and preparing to sell the mine. One of the bidders is William Blake, a wealthy investor who owns two mines already. He is determined to evaluate the value of the mine pragmatically, but when he meets Lizzy, he needs a new (though still financially justifiable) plan.

It’s a lovely story that echoes the original but takes period-appropriate detours. The conflicts are somewhat muted, which leads to a gentler tale. (For example, Mr. Blake is reserved, but not as prideful or obnoxious as Darcy. The George Wickham character, here called West, is unscrupulous and a liar, but his lies are not as complex and damaging as those of Wickham. And Mrs. Bennet is interested in marrying off her daughters, but is not as flighty as Austen’s Mrs. Bennet.)

It’s a sweet, closed-door read that does a lovely job of placing Austenesque characters in a unique setting.