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A Life of Her Own: The Story of Margaret Dashwood
A Sequel to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
In this captivating historical fiction novel set in the 19th century, young Margaret Dashwood’s lifelong dream is to travel to Pompeii. Accompanied solely by female companions, Margaret learns that danger is real – but that she can overcome it.
As an English child in the early nineteenth century, Margaret Dashwood loves to sit beside her father, poring over Piranesi’s engravings of the ancient ruins of Pompeii.The drama and pathos of the city’s destruction by the volcano Vesuvius kindles Margaret's passion for what we now call archaeology, and the pair’s ambition is to travel to Italy together. Her father’s untimely death deprives her not only of a parent and their plans, but also of the income that would have made it possible for her to be formally educated and to travel.
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. Some years later, an unexpected inheritance makes travel possible -- except for the important detail of not having a male relative to escort her. She embarks upon her Grand Tour of Europe with a small party of ladies – a daring project for an Englishwoman in the 1820s. When her ambition to join an archeological expedition leads her into 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. My novel continues the story of her 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.
As reviewers of A Life of Her Own are saying, “You won’t put it down.”
In this captivating historical fiction novel set in the 19th century, young Margaret Dashwood’s lifelong dream is to travel to Pompeii. Accompanied solely by female companions, Margaret learns that danger is real – but that she can overcome it.
As an English child in the early nineteenth century, Margaret Dashwood loves to sit beside her father, poring over Piranesi’s engravings of the ancient ruins of Pompeii.The drama and pathos of the city’s destruction by the volcano Vesuvius kindles Margaret's passion for what we now call archaeology, and the pair’s ambition is to travel to Italy together. Her father’s untimely death deprives her not only of a parent and their plans, but also of the income that would have made it possible for her to be formally educated and to travel.
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. Some years later, an unexpected inheritance makes travel possible -- except for the important detail of not having a male relative to escort her. She embarks upon her Grand Tour of Europe with a small party of ladies – a daring project for an Englishwoman in the 1820s. When her ambition to join an archeological expedition leads her into 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. My novel continues the story of her 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.
As reviewers of A Life of Her Own are saying, “You won’t put it down.”
- GenresJane Austen
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 6, 2023
In A Life of Her Own, Wendy Zomparelli takes on a minor character from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Margaret Dashwood—or perhaps I should say “a minor character from Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility, because Zomparelli’s character resembles that version of Margaret far more than the original. The Margaret of Austen’s book is a shadow copy of her mother and younger sister, bidding fair to become as overly emotional as they are. Thompson, in one of the shrewd changes she made to the novel, turned Margaret into an adventuresome tomboy—opening the way for the shy hero, Edward Ferrars, to show a kind and humorous side largely lacking in the book.
Zomparelli’s Margaret grows up just as adventurous as the tomboy version and even shows a good deal of impatience with her sister Marianne’s airs and graces. {Warning to all Team Marianne members: this Marianne will infuriate you until very near the end, when she redeems herself briefly. Even I, who have no use for Marianne, thought this portrayal might have gone a bit too far, though it did make me laugh.} From her early years Margaret has an obsession with antiquity, both that of the natural world and in human history. Her deepest desire is to travel, especially to see Pompeii with her own eyes.
This ambition shapes her relationships and sets her feet on an unusual course for a Regency heroine. The novel often hovers close to the edge of implausibility but, to my mind at least, manages to avoid pitching over the edge in depicting a heroine out of step with her era.
Zomparelli’s prose style is pleasingly elegant without going overboard into Regency verisimilitude. The most exacting reader will find annoying modernisms (“I’m fine” among them) but they are not constant and the general run of the narrative feels comfortably old-fashioned. Zomparelli’s research is a bit thin here and there—things I noticed that she got wrong included mealtimes; a Jewish girl being admitted to Almack’s; a music recital being held before dinner; circulating library books being leather-bound; income arriving annually instead of quarterly; etc. But these did not detract from my absorption in the story. In the early going I felt there was too much narrative explanation and not enough scene—describing instead of including that masterful scene of Austen’s in which Fanny Dashwood persuades John not to help his sisters felt simply criminal to me, an instance of taking dread of plagiarism way too far. But as things began to happen, the heavy ratio of narrative to dialogue no longer troubled me.
It is notable that with the exception of Margaret and, to a degree, Edward, the characters hew closely to Austen’s originals and are used in ingenious ways to move Margaret along in life. Some of the new characters are quite delightful (Mrs. Stimpson the harridan flirt, and spoilt baby Harry Dashwood growing up to be an entirely charming schoolboy stood out for me). I loved seeing more of Mrs. Jennings and thought there was just enough and not too much of Fanny Ferrars Dashwood. Zomparelli is astute enough not to make Mr. Palmer a caricature; I’ve always rather liked him. Family relationships play a big role in Margaret’s life options, as so they should, but in her quest for the “life of her own” of the title she also finds ways to carve her own path.
Once Margaret achieves her goal of travel, the book becomes a bit more problematic. It is extraordinarily difficult to maintain a forward momentum in a plot while simultaneously moving from place to place; Ava Farmer discovered this in her P&P sequel Second Impressions, which devolved into little more than a travel journal. The nature of a journey is to be episodic and full of dislocations, and description can overwhelm storyline. Zomparelli works hard to avoid this dilemma and partially succeeds. Certainly the climactic episode in which Margaret finds herself in mortal peril is a page-turner, and Zomaparelli almost gets there in making it simultaneously an occasion for self-revelation.
My romantic soul longed for a more palpitating dénouement, without the detour into a poorly constructed alternative relationship. Margaret gets to where she needs to be in the end, but does some harm (not fully acknowledged by the narrative) in the process.
This is a hefty book and well worth the reading, despite my quibbles with certain aspects. For readers who want a wider view of European life during the Regency and aftermath, it is a rich narrative; and Zomparelli’s Margaret makes for an enlivening companion throughout.
Zomparelli’s Margaret grows up just as adventurous as the tomboy version and even shows a good deal of impatience with her sister Marianne’s airs and graces. {Warning to all Team Marianne members: this Marianne will infuriate you until very near the end, when she redeems herself briefly. Even I, who have no use for Marianne, thought this portrayal might have gone a bit too far, though it did make me laugh.} From her early years Margaret has an obsession with antiquity, both that of the natural world and in human history. Her deepest desire is to travel, especially to see Pompeii with her own eyes.
This ambition shapes her relationships and sets her feet on an unusual course for a Regency heroine. The novel often hovers close to the edge of implausibility but, to my mind at least, manages to avoid pitching over the edge in depicting a heroine out of step with her era.
Zomparelli’s prose style is pleasingly elegant without going overboard into Regency verisimilitude. The most exacting reader will find annoying modernisms (“I’m fine” among them) but they are not constant and the general run of the narrative feels comfortably old-fashioned. Zomparelli’s research is a bit thin here and there—things I noticed that she got wrong included mealtimes; a Jewish girl being admitted to Almack’s; a music recital being held before dinner; circulating library books being leather-bound; income arriving annually instead of quarterly; etc. But these did not detract from my absorption in the story. In the early going I felt there was too much narrative explanation and not enough scene—describing instead of including that masterful scene of Austen’s in which Fanny Dashwood persuades John not to help his sisters felt simply criminal to me, an instance of taking dread of plagiarism way too far. But as things began to happen, the heavy ratio of narrative to dialogue no longer troubled me.
It is notable that with the exception of Margaret and, to a degree, Edward, the characters hew closely to Austen’s originals and are used in ingenious ways to move Margaret along in life. Some of the new characters are quite delightful (Mrs. Stimpson the harridan flirt, and spoilt baby Harry Dashwood growing up to be an entirely charming schoolboy stood out for me). I loved seeing more of Mrs. Jennings and thought there was just enough and not too much of Fanny Ferrars Dashwood. Zomparelli is astute enough not to make Mr. Palmer a caricature; I’ve always rather liked him. Family relationships play a big role in Margaret’s life options, as so they should, but in her quest for the “life of her own” of the title she also finds ways to carve her own path.
Once Margaret achieves her goal of travel, the book becomes a bit more problematic. It is extraordinarily difficult to maintain a forward momentum in a plot while simultaneously moving from place to place; Ava Farmer discovered this in her P&P sequel Second Impressions, which devolved into little more than a travel journal. The nature of a journey is to be episodic and full of dislocations, and description can overwhelm storyline. Zomparelli works hard to avoid this dilemma and partially succeeds. Certainly the climactic episode in which Margaret finds herself in mortal peril is a page-turner, and Zomaparelli almost gets there in making it simultaneously an occasion for self-revelation.
My romantic soul longed for a more palpitating dénouement, without the detour into a poorly constructed alternative relationship. Margaret gets to where she needs to be in the end, but does some harm (not fully acknowledged by the narrative) in the process.
This is a hefty book and well worth the reading, despite my quibbles with certain aspects. For readers who want a wider view of European life during the Regency and aftermath, it is a rich narrative; and Zomparelli’s Margaret makes for an enlivening companion throughout.
September 19, 2022
Reread 10/7/23....3.75
February 19, 2023
A Life of Her Own is a beautiful work that maintains the simplicity and charm of Jane Austen's novels. I felt the same warmth and comfort while reading this novel, only a true Jane Austen fan writer can accomplish that. Firstly, I applaud for bringing out the strong and elegant Margaret Dashwood into light who was shadowed by her sisters (Elinor and Marianne) in Sense and Sensibility. Sense and Sensibility is my least favourite Jane Austen novel (mostly because of Marianne) but I loved every bit of Wendy’s adaptation from the novel in A Life of Her Own. Wendy was successful in transforming a naughty child from Sense and Sensibility who’s easily forgotten into this very powerful character who dispenses a true sense of independence and courage in women. I have read other adaptation works written from the perspective of some weakly represented characters in great classics but never read anything written and constructed this well. It has a strong plot worth exploring and an elegant style of narration. I am always blown away by beautiful analogies in a novel and this has many such swoon-worthy analogies starting from very the beginning: “The chestnut tree outside her window had, overnight, festooned itself with white blossoms, as if dressed for its wedding, and pearly sky promised to turn blue as soon as the sun might warm it.”
A woman needs a room of her own for her thoughts and dreams to flow and a life of her own to see them enacted; not one that’s defined or crafted by her parents or her husband. This is clearly conveyed through this novel.
“If I should make a poor choice in the matter of employment, I should be able to quit it and return to Delaford, assuming you would have me. But if I were to make a bad choice in a husband-someone who became autocratic or abusive, or who turned to drink- I would be at his mercy my entire life”
Now, this clearly conveys the very fear in many young women of that period, which holds true even at present in some regions. Marriage is good but it is a gamble, not for everyone, and importantly it should be one's own choice, not something forced. This novel presents us with many independent, successful and content female characters corroborating the theme.
At first, I did not understand the significance of the marble horse head introduced in the prologue but later figured that embodies and transfers a strange strength of perseverance and courage of endurance in our protagonist. Margaret’s travel notes and the narration of her voyage, beautiful landscapes and cities were artistic and vivid. The author was smart in spicing up the narration by sandwiching a little vengeance, romance and adventure into the travelogue to keep the readers kindled. The romance was cute but I was a little annoyed with Margaret’s playfulness with Ridgeley’s sincere affection. I was happy when later she realised her mistake and tried to make amends. The threatening adventure in the later part felt extreme and edgy for a classic-themed novel at first. Also at this point, I felt Margaret to be stubborn and reckless blinded by her lust for achievement and discovery, and even inconsiderate. But later the callousness of the event faded and somehow mixed well with the plot, bringing out the courageous, resourceful and astute protagonist once again.
Now coming to the characters, I loved most of the supporting characters, especially Edward; his humbleness and support were visible throughout the novel. I loved all his advice for Margaret, especially this one, it resonates so well with young readers.
“The task of young people is to understand themselves, to observe the world around them, and to determine what kind of adults they wish to be. No one achieves that without making mistakes.”
The importance of family’s love and support is highlighted many times throughout the novel, especially the rare love family offers during distress and grief asking no questions or making no service demands. I didn’t particularly love Marianne in Sense and Sensibility for she was reckless, silly, judgemental and unsupportive many times. I think Wendy agrees with this, I could see that from her overall sketch of Marianne. But I mended my relationship with Marianne towards the end of this novel where Wendy brings out the best in her.
This book presents a very well-written sequel to Sense and Sensibility. I loved it, not just because I got a signed copy with a beautiful note from the author, for I could get the same warmth and enjoyment as reading a Jane Austen novel. I could even see its potential for a motion picture capturing the lushness of Margaret’s travel and her adventures.
A woman needs a room of her own for her thoughts and dreams to flow and a life of her own to see them enacted; not one that’s defined or crafted by her parents or her husband. This is clearly conveyed through this novel.
“If I should make a poor choice in the matter of employment, I should be able to quit it and return to Delaford, assuming you would have me. But if I were to make a bad choice in a husband-someone who became autocratic or abusive, or who turned to drink- I would be at his mercy my entire life”
Now, this clearly conveys the very fear in many young women of that period, which holds true even at present in some regions. Marriage is good but it is a gamble, not for everyone, and importantly it should be one's own choice, not something forced. This novel presents us with many independent, successful and content female characters corroborating the theme.
At first, I did not understand the significance of the marble horse head introduced in the prologue but later figured that embodies and transfers a strange strength of perseverance and courage of endurance in our protagonist. Margaret’s travel notes and the narration of her voyage, beautiful landscapes and cities were artistic and vivid. The author was smart in spicing up the narration by sandwiching a little vengeance, romance and adventure into the travelogue to keep the readers kindled. The romance was cute but I was a little annoyed with Margaret’s playfulness with Ridgeley’s sincere affection. I was happy when later she realised her mistake and tried to make amends. The threatening adventure in the later part felt extreme and edgy for a classic-themed novel at first. Also at this point, I felt Margaret to be stubborn and reckless blinded by her lust for achievement and discovery, and even inconsiderate. But later the callousness of the event faded and somehow mixed well with the plot, bringing out the courageous, resourceful and astute protagonist once again.
Now coming to the characters, I loved most of the supporting characters, especially Edward; his humbleness and support were visible throughout the novel. I loved all his advice for Margaret, especially this one, it resonates so well with young readers.
“The task of young people is to understand themselves, to observe the world around them, and to determine what kind of adults they wish to be. No one achieves that without making mistakes.”
The importance of family’s love and support is highlighted many times throughout the novel, especially the rare love family offers during distress and grief asking no questions or making no service demands. I didn’t particularly love Marianne in Sense and Sensibility for she was reckless, silly, judgemental and unsupportive many times. I think Wendy agrees with this, I could see that from her overall sketch of Marianne. But I mended my relationship with Marianne towards the end of this novel where Wendy brings out the best in her.
This book presents a very well-written sequel to Sense and Sensibility. I loved it, not just because I got a signed copy with a beautiful note from the author, for I could get the same warmth and enjoyment as reading a Jane Austen novel. I could even see its potential for a motion picture capturing the lushness of Margaret’s travel and her adventures.
October 17, 2026
A Life of Her Own is a fun sequel to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. It follows the youngest Dashwood sister, Margaret, through the events of Sense and Sensibility and continues her story beyond Austen's original ending.
Growing up, Margaret always felt like the odd one out. While her older sisters were happy to move into society and settle down, Margaret wanted adventure. She loves science and history, and dreams of traveling through Europe on a Grand Tour. When she gets the opportunity to go on the trip of a lifetime, Margaret gets caught up in exciting and dramatic situations, and discovers who she is in the process. There is a slightly over-the-top ending to this book, which other reviewers have made mention of, but I had no problem with it and found it very entertaining.
In addition to telling Margaret's story, the novel provides a continuation for many of the other characters in Sense and Sensibility. Edward Ferrars plays a particularly important role in Margaret's life, and I began to like him more in this novel than I did in Austen's. We also get to see more of Elinor and Marianne, Mrs. Dashwood, Mrs. Jennings, and even Mr. Willoughby makes a cameo.
Overall I enjoyed this book, however there are two areas where I think it fell short:
1. The Ending: Unfortunately, I closed the book with a feeling of disappointment that I hadn't felt until I read the epilogue. There's a sense that the author didn't know what to do with all the loose threads from the plot, and the epilogue felt like a series of bad decisions. I was particularly disappointed in the way Margaret's love story evolves in the epilogue and would have preferred that the author made a decision and stuck with it instead of compromising so much.
2. Chapter Headings: Each chapter starts with a heading that indicates the location and year that the chapter takes place. In theory, this is a very helpful way for readers to understand where the action is taking place and how much time has passed since the previous chapter. In practice, however, these headings are problematic because a handful of the chapter headings give the wrong year, which is apparent once you start reading the text. In one case, even the location is wrong. While this does not affect the plot, it does make for a slightly confusing reading experience. It's unfortunate that these were overlooked during the editing process, so take the chapter headings with a grain of salt (at least in the second edition).
That said, this book is still an enjoyable novel to read and I'll happily keep it on my shelf.
Growing up, Margaret always felt like the odd one out. While her older sisters were happy to move into society and settle down, Margaret wanted adventure. She loves science and history, and dreams of traveling through Europe on a Grand Tour. When she gets the opportunity to go on the trip of a lifetime, Margaret gets caught up in exciting and dramatic situations, and discovers who she is in the process. There is a slightly over-the-top ending to this book, which other reviewers have made mention of, but I had no problem with it and found it very entertaining.
In addition to telling Margaret's story, the novel provides a continuation for many of the other characters in Sense and Sensibility. Edward Ferrars plays a particularly important role in Margaret's life, and I began to like him more in this novel than I did in Austen's. We also get to see more of Elinor and Marianne, Mrs. Dashwood, Mrs. Jennings, and even Mr. Willoughby makes a cameo.
Overall I enjoyed this book, however there are two areas where I think it fell short:
1. The Ending: Unfortunately, I closed the book with a feeling of disappointment that I hadn't felt until I read the epilogue. There's a sense that the author didn't know what to do with all the loose threads from the plot, and the epilogue felt like a series of bad decisions. I was particularly disappointed in the way Margaret's love story evolves in the epilogue and would have preferred that the author made a decision and stuck with it instead of compromising so much.
2. Chapter Headings: Each chapter starts with a heading that indicates the location and year that the chapter takes place. In theory, this is a very helpful way for readers to understand where the action is taking place and how much time has passed since the previous chapter. In practice, however, these headings are problematic because a handful of the chapter headings give the wrong year, which is apparent once you start reading the text. In one case, even the location is wrong. While this does not affect the plot, it does make for a slightly confusing reading experience. It's unfortunate that these were overlooked during the editing process, so take the chapter headings with a grain of salt (at least in the second edition).
That said, this book is still an enjoyable novel to read and I'll happily keep it on my shelf.
January 9, 2022
Margaret Dashwood has waited two centuries to make her full literary debut, and it is her good fortune that Wendy Zomparelli is the author to breathe life into this minor Jane Austen character from Sense and Sensibility. In Zomparelli’s capable hands, Margaret – the plain but pleasant youngest Dashwood sister of whom little was expected – springs to life as a plucky 19th century gentlewoman with uncommon curiosity and unbounded ambitions. Zomparelli channels Austen’s cadences and dialog without flaw, and yet, with the benefit of hindsight, can wink at society’s conventions. She fills in the blanks of Margaret’s character so colorfully and fully that, despite the novel’s satisfying ending, you are sad to see it end.
No prior reading of the Austen oeuvre is required to enjoy this excursion into the economic strictures of Georgian England and a frenetic Grand Tour of Italy. A Life of Her Own will appeal to both Janeites and the uninitiated – and especially to anyone who, like Margaret, has ever been underestimated. Zomparelli infuses her writing with such subtle wit and delightful historical morsels, the result stands on its own as a memorable portrait of a winsome protagonist as she navigates a world stacked against a woman of independent spirit.
No prior reading of the Austen oeuvre is required to enjoy this excursion into the economic strictures of Georgian England and a frenetic Grand Tour of Italy. A Life of Her Own will appeal to both Janeites and the uninitiated – and especially to anyone who, like Margaret, has ever been underestimated. Zomparelli infuses her writing with such subtle wit and delightful historical morsels, the result stands on its own as a memorable portrait of a winsome protagonist as she navigates a world stacked against a woman of independent spirit.
March 12, 2025
I read this novel for my Jane Austen book club. This is one of the two best Austen adaptations I've read that focuses on a minor character in one of her novels. This one, obviously (given the novel's title) focuses on Margaret Dashwood, the last and least of the Dashwood sisters. Margaret plays a very small role at best in Austen's _Sense and Sensibility_. Zomparelli's novel overlaps with _Sense and Sensibility_ for about the first 1/5 of the novel, and then it goes in its own direction. This Margaret is passionate for natural history and travel, and wants to forge her own path. She even insists on working in London rather than being supported by her wealthy, socially elevated sisters and their families! Ultimately, Margaret travels through Europe. Her final adventure is a bit absurd and overwrought, but overall this novel is a lot of fun and stays true to the spirit of _Sense and Sensibility_.
December 12, 2022
This book will appeal particularly to Jane Austen fans familiar with Sense and Sensibility, but anyone who enjoys reading about the early 19th century in England and Europe will find much to enjoy. The author does a great job of blending of fact and fiction.
January 26, 2024
Very enjoyable! I always wondered about Margaret Dashwood and this story brings her to life. There were some wonderful descriptions of her travels, which I enjoyed. I particularly liked her relationship with her brother-in-law Edward.
August 31, 2026
I was enjoying it but it became extremely melodramatic and the romance was unsatisfying. The author went from bringing out wonderful qualities of some of my favorite or non favorite sense and sensibility characters to ruining said characters and bringing in icky dynamics. Very disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews