The world is undoubtedly suffering from a deluge of Austen spin-offs and universally acknowledged truths. But I can point to one author who can get it right: Monica Fairview.

Ignore the title, the subtitle about mayhem at Pemberley, and the back cover blurb: This is Georgiana Darcy’s story, plain and simple, and we never set foot in Pemberley. The setting is Hunsford and London, two years after the events in Pride and Prejudice, and Georgiana Darcy is preparing for her come-out in the spring. Georgiana has been content living with Elizabeth and Darcy, but Wickham’s spectre haunts the back of her memories. When an American cousin arrives unexpectedly, she catalyses a series of changes that finally force Georgiana to grow up.

And that’s about it. But the story is so much more. Coming-of-age stories can be hit or miss with me (the angst – oh, the angst), but Ms. Fairview manages to evoke timeless teenage troubles while retaining Regency sensibilities. Georgiana is only eighteen, after all, but living a cloistered existence with a much older brother made her quieter and mature before her time, a process sped up by the Wickham affair. Clarissa, the American cousin, is outwardly buoyant, saucy, flirtatious and outspoken – everything Georgiana is not, and through the course of the summer Georgiana learns how to simply be herself. An old and hackneyed message, to be sure, but one told so gracefully and sympathetically that I won’t quibble.

Many beloved characters from P&P reappear, and it was a joy to read a sequel that breathes fresh yet true life into the denizens of Hunsford and Pemberley. No liberties are taken, and if Elizabeth’s role is decidedly one-note, well, she had her story and now it’s Georgiana’s turn. On the other hand, Darcy must come to terms with a little sister who is growing up and showing signs of spirit, and Ms. Fairview provides excellent character extension to Mr. Darcy. The other secondary characters, including Georgiana’s love interest, Anne de Bourgh, and Clarissa Darcy, are compelling additions to a well-rounded cast.

On a more critical note, the story lags three-quarters of the way through before picking up to the denouement, and the author’s otherwise admirable prose occasionally – just occasionally – lapses into modernisms. And while Georgiana’s emotional flutterings are understandable, sometimes they vacillate too much for my taste, teenage sensibilities notwithstanding.

However, these are minor complaints to a book that I will unhesitatingly recommend to anyone despairing of good P&P sequels. Ms. Fairview is a definite treasure, and I look forward to more from her in the future.