84: Ruth Leigh and Lucinda Hawksley - The Goldster Conversations Podcast

The Goldster Conversations Podcast

Calling all fans of Jane Austen. On 13 October, Lucinda will be interviewing Ruth Leigh, author of A Great Deal of Ingenuity: A Collection of Pride and Prejudice Stories. The pages of Pride and Prejudice sparkle with household names: proud Darcy and prejudiced Elizabeth, book-loving Mr Bennet, the snobbish Bingley sisters, predatory Mr Wickham and oily Mr Collins. But what about all the other people busy cooking, mending, flirting, walking and socialising in the background?
In this collection of short stories, Ruth shines a light on the lives of nine characters from the novel. How is married life at Hunsford? Will Maria Lucas ever find a husband? How does Sally the maid feel about mending Lydia’s worked muslin gown? Which Meryton matron will triumph in luring a marriageable young man into their parlour? This charming collection of stories gives the reader a window into the worlds of Meryton, Rosings Park, Pemberley and Hunsford as you’ve never seen them before.
Ruth Leigh is also the author of the witty Isabella M Smugge series about a single parent of four who moves from London to the countryside, becoming an “instamum” and turning her life into an award-winning ‘brand’ yet struggling with the actual, non-instagram realities of life.