Persuasion

At nineteen Anne Elliot refuses an offer of marriage from Frederick Wentworth, persuaded to do so by Lady RusselL, a friend of her dead mother. Wentworth is a sailor, with no money and an uncertain future, says Lady RusselL – just a nobody, certainly not worthy of a baronet’s daughter. Eight years later Wentworth returns, a rich and successful captain, looking for a wife. Anne is still unmarried, but Captain Wentworth clearly prefers the company of the two Musgrove girls… Jane Austen’s tale of love and marriage is told, with humour and a sharp understanding of human behaviour. (Word count 19,370)