Friday Finds...

I am so excited about my latest "find"! As I mentioned earlier this week I first learned about The Making of a Marchioness from my friend Alison. At that time she also mentioned another novel by Burnett titled, The Shuttle.

The Shuttle, written around the same time as Marchioness, is the story of two American heiresses who marrying English aristocrats... "by extension it is about the effect of American energy, dynamism and affluence on an effete and impoverished English ruling class. Sir Nigel Anstruthers crosses the Atlantic to look for a rich wife and returns with the daughter of an American millionaire, Rosalie Vanderpoel. He turns out to be a bully, a miser and a philanderer and virtually imprisons his wife in the house. Only when Rosalie's sister Bettina is grown up does it occur to her and her father that some sort of rescue expedition should take place. And the beautiful, kind and dynamic Bettina leaves for Europe to try and find out why Rosalie has, inexplicably, chosen to lose touch with her family. In the process she engages in a psychological war with Sir Nigel; meets and falls in love with another Englishman; and starts to use the Vanderpoel money to modernize 'Stornham Court'." (synopsis courtesey of Persephone Books)

Having enjoyed The Making of a Marchioness I decided to track down a copy of The Shuttle for my personal library. Persephone Books has reprinted this novel and it's available for free on Google Books, but I wanted an older copy, so I went hunting online and was able to find a first edition hardbound copy in nearly excellent condition for $10!I I ordered and it arrived yesterday. I can't wait to start on this one! This will be on my March reading list.