Heroine by Jenna Greene – Excerpt
Elizabeth Bennett was a walker. (Watch the movie; read the book. Jane Austen will be proud of you). She ambled across the parks and fields of rural England, aiming her steps toward Netherfield or Meryton, all the while rubbing her toes against crisp and soothing grass. While wind tossed her auburn hair, she freely let mud gather along the rim of her skirts. That’s why Mr. Darcy – the romantic lead of the story, if you’re not aware – fell for young Lizzie Bennett. He loved her independent spirit, and the bloom in her cheeks caused by her brisk exercise.
Emma Woodhouse was a walker too, though she strolled through different lanes. In fact, all of Austen’s illustrious heroines loved the exertion of a solitary stride. That’s how you could pick out the protagonists in these novels. That’s how you knew which characters would succeed in the end, no matter how far their plot strayed in the middle. That’s how you knew which lady would win eventually win her gentleman prize.
(My sister, Gwen, is taking an English course in university. I adore plucking details from her).
I know what you’re thinking. “Why am I telling you this?” Well, if Jane Austen is correct – and why wouldn’t she be? – then people that decided not to sit home and mull over lost days, people who stride forward with their own two feet, end up finding success.
Why? Shrug. I didn’t make up these rules. I just intend to follow them. Now I’ve found my plaid jacket … where are my boots? I feel like going for a walk.