The Earl That Got Away (Sirens in Silk, 2)
1887, Yorkshire, England. Twenty-seven-year-old Arab American Naila Darwish, from Brooklyn, is attending a prewedding dance in Castle Tremayne with her sister Reya, who will soon marry the Duke of Strickland. Naila is pleasantly surprised when the duke introduces her to his friend, Basil, the Earl of Hawksworth. Eight years earlier, Naila had met Basil in Philadelphia when he was still a commoner. Although they had fallen in love and Basil had proposed marriage, Naila had turned him down due to her family’s objection. While Naila still adores Basil, he is resentful. The couple partakes in the wedding festivities, wondering if this second-chance romance will reunite them.
Diana Quincy, herself an Arab American, has done a fantastic job of retelling Persuasion with different actors and US-UK settings. This novel picks up at the point where, in the original, 27-year-old Anne Elliot meets, after eight years, Captain Wentworth, who has acquired wealth. They face a similar dilemma to Naila’s and Basil/Earl Hawksworth’s. This story is told in flashbacks and includes romantic scenes that distinguish it from the original. The presence of some Arabic phrases in the dialogue adds authenticity without posing any difficulties, as the English translation is added beside them. An entertaining read.
