Narrated by Stevie Zimmerman

Of Paupers and Peers is a charming traditional Regency based on a good old amnesia plot. So, I think AudioGals readers will understand my excited anticipation!

James Weatherly, a curate in Fairfield, is
visited by a lawyer who informs him he is the heir to a dukedom and is in fact
the new duke of Montford. To say James is astonished is an understatement. He
travels to Montford to take visit his (vast) estate and on the way, is set upon
by footpads. His travelling money is stolen as well as his legal papers and he
awakens on the side of the road with no memory of who he is or how he came to
be there.

He is discovered by Miss Margaret
Darrington, a lady who had been impatiently awaiting the arrival of the tutor
she had hired for her younger brother. She makes the assumption that James is
Peter Featherstonehaugh (pronounced “Fanshawe” for the uninitiated) and James
goes along with it, thinking she must surely be right. The clothes he has with
him and the books he carries seem to point in that direction and he has no
reason to doubt her assertion.

Margaret, 24, lives on a small estate
abutting the Montford lands, with her Aunt Hattie, her brother, Philip, and her
younger sister, Amanda. Amanda, aged 18, is a great beauty and Margaret’s plans
to keep the family out of the poorhouse all rest on Amanda’s hopes for a
brilliant marriage – perhaps even to the new duke of Montford. Margaret therefore
lets the instantly gobsmacked “Mr. Featherstonehaugh” know in no uncertain
terms that he must not look to Amanda for romance; she is most decidedly not
for him.

It may sound a bit mercenary but Margaret
isn’t prepared for Amanda to be sacrificed altogether – she wouldn’t marry
Amanda off to just anyone. But she
hopes. Money is scarce and there is little option but a great marriage for
Amanda to keep the family afloat. After all, nobody looks at Margaret the way
they look at Amanda.

James is smitten by Amanda’s beauty but it
isn’t until he regains his memory that he thinks anything could ever happen
between them. Of course, at around that time he realises that his interests lie
in the direction of the elder sister
and he formulates a plan. James had been spurned by a young lady in Fairfield
who had laughed in his face at a marriage proposal from a mere curate. James
wants to be accepted for himself and not his wealth and title. It sounds good
in his head but it is perhaps not his best decision.

The story descends a little towards farce as
mistaken identity abounds and multiple marriage proposals are made but it all
turns out right in the end.

I was a little dismayed by the
representation of Romani characters. For one thing, they are not called Roma in
the book and are depicted very stereotypically. Some may well not be able to get
past it – which is entirely fair. I was – partly because I’m not part of or
closely associated with this (or any) marginalised population. The book was
originally published in September 2006 and while I can’t know for sure, I
suspect the book would be different had it been written today.

Otherwise, the book was amusing, sweet and
romantic.

The narration was very, very good. I don’t
think I’ve listened to anything performed by Stevie Zimmerman before but my
experience here means that I’ll be looking for more of her work.

Her various British and Scottish accents
were fantastic and I also appreciated the deeper timbre she was able to deliver
for the male character voices, particularly James’.

Ms. Zimmerman’s timing was well done in the
more comedic sections of the story and her pacing and dramatic tension showed
to good effect in the more emotional scenes.

With one exception, I enjoyed Of Paupers and Peers very much. I
believe the audio experience was likely superior for two reasons – the main one
being the calibre of the narration. But the other bonus was that I didn’t have
to do mental gymnastics to see “Fanshawe” when I read “Featherstonehaugh” –
happily, Ms. Zimmerman did that for me.